Rabbits, Whores, and Artists
by I Am A Martyr
Summary: Seiji brings a rabbit home with good intentions, but wounded rabbits need constant attention. Read inside for full intro. Rated M for obvious reasons...
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: **

**When I first watched the anime, Sensitive Pornograph, I didn't realize that the second episode changed characters. To be honest, I was busy jacking off. So during the second episode, I thought Ueno was Seiji. Don't judge me. Their characters were similar, and so what if I didn't notice his hair or skin color change? So yeah, I thought Seiji just took a side-job pet-sitting in between writing his manga. I thought he was being a kind, awkward slut when he thumped the bunny, Aki. I thought when he said "this is dangerous," he was talking about Sono finding out. It all clicked and I figured it out when I saw them at school at the end, but the idea didn't leave my mind. So that's what I'm going on.**

**Ueno doesn't exist. Seiji was the pet-sitter. He fucked Aki, all the while thinking of Sono finding out. Instead of at a school, at the end they meet at Seiji's work, where Seiji stopped by to pick up his pay-check. Seiji was shocked to see Aki's wounds, and he was both pleased Aki got away and sad he encouraged him to try. They went out for a cup of coffee instead of to the school cafeteria. Yes, I realize Aki is younger than Seiji, but Sono is older than Seiji. So it balances it out a bit, doesn't it? All right, I just wanted to explain myself to the few of you who actually pay attention to plots. **

**Thus begins my story.**

...

I smiled shyly at Aki, dropping a cube of glistening sugar into my mug. It landed with a soft _plop_, a few drops of coffee lifting out of the mug, only to splash back down soundlessly.

Aki stabbed at his salad awkwardly, holding his fork with his left hand. He winced as his right arm twitched instinctively, trapped behind the white sling. Frustrated, Aki bent down over his plate and began shoveling food into his mouth.

I looked down at my coffee and added cream. I sat watching the cream swirl around, slowly turning the blackness into milky brown.

"It was wrong of him to treat you like that," I said after a long moment of silence.

Aki raised his head, a thick slice of carrot clinched between his teeth. He tossed back his head, and the carrot disappeared into his mouth.

He chewed for a second before mumbling, "Hmm?"

"I said, it was wrong of him t-"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah... It was, but it's okay, now." Aki bobbed his head and smiled, his soft purple hair flipping gently along his forehead. "I have you now, right?" Though I could only see one of his eyes, since the other was covered with a bandage, I could have sworn he winked at me.

My heart skipped a beat.

"Aki," I sighed, thumbing at the sugar bowl. "Look, I-"

Suddenly his hand was on top of mine. Warm, firm, pressure. The words vanished in my mouth. I looked up.

His eye was glowing and shimmering with tears. "Thank you," he said softly. "For saving my life."

I stared at him, and found that I had nothing to say. I placed my other hand on top of his, and we smiled.

...

_He had nowhere to go. Where else could I have taken him?_ I kept asking myself.

As Aki changed into some extra pajamas in my bedroom, I paced the kitchen.

_Sono is at work, so there's nothing to be worried about. Aki's just a friend... Just a friend I happened to rescue by sleeping with. God, how am I going to explain this? _I bit my lip as fear threatened to claw down my back.

_No. _I realized_. I don't have to. Sono was a whore in his day. Who knows, he could be off sleeping with someone right now. Stop it. Don't think like that. Aki's just going to spend the night, and tomorrow he can go his own way. I'll just explain to him that I've got a...a boyfriend._

I stopped pacing as something caught my eye. Sono's manga sat on the kitchen table. A sticky-note was stuck to the cover. On the sticky-note, Sono had drawn a heart. I moaned and slapped myself in the face. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I hissed under my breath.

"Seiji?"

I whirled around. "Oh- Aki!" I blurted out.

He stood in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning seductively against the frame. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of baggy, green pajama pants.

"I'm supposed to change my bandages. Can you help me?" He asked softly, placing his left hand on his pale, bare chest.

"Uh..." I swallowed. "Sure."

...

He sat with his feet hanging off the bed. I sat behind him, with my legs spread out on either side of him. Very carefully, I unwrapped the cloth from around his head, moving more slowly every time he took a sharp breath. "Sorry," I whispered when I felt his body go tense.

"It's all right," he answered. While I removed the cloth, Aki peeled away his band-aids.

When at last the rest of the bandage came off, I stood up and went around to the front of him with fresh bandages, and I was disgusted to see how hurt he really was.

His once flawless white face was bruised and ugly, with raised purple and red blotches. The eye itself was swollen shut, only a sliver of the whites was showing. Cuts and scratches marked his face with lines and dark red crusts.

"Oh, Aki..." I muttered sadly.

"What?" Aki blinked in horror. "Is there something on my face?" He patted his face with his hand, pursing his lips together in mock confusion.

I couldn't help but giggle.

"I'm fine, Seiji," he insisted, placing his hand against my cheek.

I stood there like a statue until his hand traveled down my chest, and his fingers played with my belt. I snapped out of it and stepped back. "So, do you need to change your cast or anything?" I rushed out.

Aki looked over at his limp right arm. He lifted it out of the sling before wincing and putting it back. "No, I ought to leave it alone," he decided.

"Okay..." I looked around the room, if only not to stare at his ruined face and his perfect chest. "I should probably get to bed," I told him, pulling a pair of pajamas and an extra pillow and blanket from the closet. I threw the blanket and pjs over my shoulder and tucked the pillow under my arm. I slid over to the door uncertainly.

Aki's eyes followed me.

"Aren't you going to help me put the fresh bandages on?" He asked, almost pleadingly.

_Damn it_, I cursed my own forgetfulness.

"Yeah," I dropped my things by the door and went over to him. "Of course. Did you think I'd forget?" I forced out a laugh that was so fake, I almost couldn't believe it came out of me.

I cleared my throat, embarrassed, and grabbed the fresh gauze, and went to work.

...

"There," I said, clipping away the extra bandage with a pair of scissors. "All done." I gathered up the band-aid wrappers and cloth scraps and carried them to the trash can.

"Thank you, Seiji," Aki sighed out, laying back on the bed.

"It's nothing," I said awkwardly, gathering up my pillow and blanket from the floor. "I should go to bed, now. I have a ton of work to do in the mor-"

I cut myself off as Aki let out a strange, gasping, strangled sound.

"A...Aki?" I hesitated, stepping over to the bed. I flinched as he did it again. "Aki? Are you okay...?"

I blinked in surprise.

Aki was fast asleep.

He looked like a child, the way his mouth hung open at a slight angle, the way his hair tossled over the sheets, the way his arms curled up against his chest.

I smiled and quietly shook out my blanket and draped it over his body, making sure his toes were covered. Then I bent down to pick up my pillow again, and when I straightened back up, something grabbed my arm.

I screamed and jerked away, falling to the ground.

Aki stared at me with wide eyes, his hand still out-stretched. He was speechless.

"I... I-I thought you- I mean, you were- I just..." I grabbed onto the wall and stood up, my legs shaking.

"I'm sorry," we said at the same time.

I blushed. "I bet you're wide awake, now," I murmered, kicking my stupid pillow out of the room.

Aki looked at the blanket covering him. "You can have this back," he said, sitting up and pulling the blanket up from his feet. He began folding the blanket in his lap, and quite awkwardly, using just his left hand.

"No," I rushed over. "Aki, stop. It's okay. You don't have to do that," I didn't know whether to take the blanket or just let him hold it. His eye glowed at me, the blanket waiting in the palm of his hand.

I sighed and reached for the blanket, but Aki dropped it into his lap and grabbed my hand.

My fingers twitched around the invisable blanket. I stared at Aki. "What are you-?"

He jerked my arm and I fell over on top of him. Before I could apologize, his lips found my own, and his hand on the back of my head kept me there.

His lips were a raging wet passion, burning with desire and heat. The breath flew out of his nostrils in quick short pants as his excitement grew. I placed my hands around his waist, careful not to bump the cast on his arm. My heart raced with intensity.

_What am I thinking?_ I wondered._ I love Sono! How can I betray him like this?_

But then Aki's tongue slipped into my mouth, and as my eyes rolled into the back of my head, I lost myself to my desires, and me and Aki made love.

...

**TBC.**


	2. Chapter 2

I panted and sweated with desire, my tongue licking at his nipple while my lips sucked at his breast.

His fingers combed through my hair, his legs wrapped around my back. Our clothes had been shredded long ago.

My penis hung down and rubbed into his, filling it with fire. I groaned and shoved my pelvic down, grinding our penises together.

Aki gasped and his body trembled as he pulled me down closer to him. I laid on top of him, us fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle.

He reached under me and grabbed my penis and began working it in his hand. I gritted my teeth and pushed his hand away, then I took my penis and guided it into his ass.

He winced and his lips parted as his breathing grew heavier.

It felt so good to be inside him. He was so tight and hot. I pressed my lips into his and our mouths opened together, our tongues dancing as one.

I began moving my hips in and out, and he turned his head away from my lips, his eyes squeezed shut as he moaned. I held onto his waist and began thrusting myself harder and faster, my penis swelling up inside of him.

"Seiji," he whispered, his brow covered in sweat. I ignored him and thrust even harder, my penis screaming and pulsing with effort to hold it in.

Suddenly, I could hold it no more. "I'm going to-" My words were cut short as I reached orgasim. My penis burst forth with a hot gush, and I gasped and continued to buck inside of him as my body trembled violently and my penis continued to cum. Then it was over, and I fell over onto my side.

Aki looked over at me and smiled.

I looked at him, then I saw how thick and swollen his penis was. I eyed him carefully before crawling over.

"Seiji, what are you-?"

"Shh," I insisted. "Be still." I reached his crotch and hesitated only for a second before placing my lips around his penis.

"Seiji, no. You don'-" He broke off with a shudder as his erection grew.

I moved my head up and down, tasting and feeling the warmth of his penis in my mouth. My tongue explored the veins and ridges, tickled at his tip, tasting the thin pre-cum.

I was so intent on pleasuring Aki that I didn't hear the bedroom door open.

"S-Seiji?"

I swallowed and jerked my head around to see Sono standing in the doorway. Aki, who simply couldn't help himself, reached his climax and ejaculated into the air.

...

**TBC.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Sono!" I burst out, throwing myself out of bed. I landed awkwardly onto my side, but quickly jumped to my feet. My heart was racing. "It's not what it looks like!" I babbled stereotypically. "Or... Maybe it is, but he was- I just-"

"Sorry to interupt," Sono said tonelessly, backing out of the bedroom and shutting the door.

Aki tilted his head to the side, watching me with a calm, almost amused expression. He said nothing, however, and merely continued to stare, his glossy, purpley hair waving gently in front of his eyes.

His thin, white chest expanded and deflated as he breathed heavily through his nostrils. The way his ribs stuck out at each breath turned me on... _Stop it!_ I screamed at myself.

I grabbed my pants from the floor and jerked them on.

"Hang on!" I held up my hand at Aki for a second before sprinting out of the room. "Sono, wait!" I called, slamming the door behind me.

Sono was in the kitchen, staring into the sink with his hands on either side. He heard me coming into the room and turned around, a small smile plastered onto his face.

"Sono, look, he-"

"You don't have to explain yourself, Seiji," Sono interupted softly.

My shoulders slumped. "What? You mean, you're not-?"

"You're the one who asked me to be your boyfriend," he went on easily. "Therefore it's up to you to change that. I told you how I acted in the past. It's only fair of you to get even."

My mouth hung open in disbelief.

"Even? Sono, this wasn't about getting even!" I stomped my foot, so much like an angry child. "I hardly even know the guy! We met, what? Like a week ag-"

"It doesn't matter, Seiji..." Sono said, slapping his hands down on the kitchen table. His eyes drifted over to where his manga still lay, unread. The little heart sticky-note he left on the cover, still untouched.

` My stomach dropped coldly into a puddle of guilt.

"It's not like we're a real couple. You're free to see other people, just like I am." He shrugged, as if none of this bothered him, as if seeing me fucking with another man on the bed with the sheets we picked out together was no big deal, as if he didn't care at all.

"Sono," I began weakly, stepping towards him.

He raised a hand. "Please, Seiji," he interupted. "Don't be rude to your guest. I'll just stop by some other time. Perhaps I'll call next time, would that be better?" His smile seemed real enough, but his eyes said otherwise.

He turned away without another word and left the apartment. The door clicked quietly as he used his key to lock it behind him.

I stared dumbfoundedly at nothing in particular, my eyes fuzzying in and out of focus. Then suddenly I remembered.

"Aki!"

I darted back into the bedroom.

Aki was getting dressed.

"I'm sorry about this," he said before I could say anything. "I shouldn't have expected you to drop everything you had for me. I shouldn't have been so selfish..." He fell silent as he pulled on his shirt, struggling with his hurt arm.

"No," I shook my head. "No, don't be. None of this is your fault, he's just... Uh..." I watched him pull him arm tenderly through his sleeve, his forehead knotting with pain. I blinked and stepped towards him to help.

"I'm fine," he stopped me.

I hesitated, my mouth dry with uncertainty.

"Aren't you going to stay over?" I asked shyly.

"No... I think it'd be best if I left. I don't want to cause any more trouble." Aki gathered his socks and shoes from the floor and headed to the door.

"It- it's no trouble," I insisted, bouncing beside him. "You can stay, please. I- I don't think he'll be back any time soon-"

"You're very nice, and I am so grateful that you saved me. But please, do not hurt yourself because of me. I am not worth it." He hung his head for a moment before flipping his hair from his eyes and staring at me. "I hope you are able to patch things up with your friend."

Suddenly I realized he was standing at the apartment door. _That was fast_, I thought.

He stood quietly, waiting, so I mindlessly unlocked and opened the door for him. He walked outside, his bare feet slapping softly against the concrete ground. The moonlight lit his hair with silver beams. His eyes glowed at me.

"Thank you again," he bowed politely.

"Oh... Right, sure." I bowed awkwardly. "Anytime..." I started to say, but when I straightened back up, he had already disappeared.

...

TBC.


	4. Chapter 4

After they were gone, I ran to the bathroom. I threw up into the toilet, my whole body heavy with disgrace, until at last my stomach was empty.

I sat on my knees in front of the toilet, my right arm resting on the lid, supporting me as I trembled. _How could I have been so stupid?_ I wondered heatedly. I closed my eyes to keep the tears inside, leaning over to spit in the toilet_. I hate this. What should I do?_

I remained that way for nearly half an hour, until at last I got to my feet. Nausea threatened to topple me over, but I steadied myself on the counter.

I looked in the mirror and grimaced at the state of my appearance. I looked horrible. I turned on the sink and recklessly threw my head down into the spray, letting the water run onto the back of my neck and soak into my hair and slide down my face, tickling at my nostrils. It was cold and crisp and I shivered now because I was cold, and it helped me forget that my stomach was hot and feverish.

Soon I pulled a towel down from the shower curtain and dried myself off, sighing. _This is the towel Sono used yesterday morning,_ I realized bitterly. I hugged the towel to my face and inhaled, hoping to smell him, but all I smelled was a dampness mixed with the faint scent of body wash and fabric softener. I threw it in the floor.

The bedroom was quiet and still as I walked into it. There was a bloody band-aid on the floor. It must have rubbed off of Aki in his haste to leave. I stepped over it and began pulling the sheets off the bed.

Moments later, I soaked them with laundry detergent and crammed them into the washer. As the washer whirred to life, I went to my phone.

I bit my lip, wishing I had a way to contact Aki, but knowing I really didn't know anything about him. I punched in Sono's number instead, tapping my foot nervously, not knowing what I should say.

After four rings, the phone clicked and the line went dead.

_Did he... Hang up on me?_ I was in shock. _Oh no. _"Sono, I'm sorry!" I cried, hitting redial.

"Hello?" Sono answered immediately.

"Sono!" I burst out. "Sono, listen, I-"

"Seiji, please." His calm voice, so subtle and sweet, silenced me effortlessly. "This doesn't need to be an ordeal. I understand. You're still young, and you have-"

"No, Sono!" I interupted, my voice too loud. "I_ love you _Sono, I really, really do! Aki- he was- You see, there was this... Look, I would really much rather explain this in person-"

"You don't have to explain," Sono replied. "You are free to do whatever you want with whoever you want. I will not-"

_"Sono!"_ I shouted.

The phone trembled in my fist. The line was dead silent. I breathed heavily through my mouth, then took a slow breath to calm myself. He waited.

"Sono," I said, feeling weak now. "Will you just come back? Or should I come over there? I _have_ to talk to you in person. Please."

"Of course, Seiji," he said after a moment. "I will be there in ten minutes."

"Thank you," I started to say, but he had already hung up.

I sprinted into the bedroom, found Aki's band-aid, and flushed it down the toilet.

...

Instead of using his key, he knocked on the door and since I was already waiting right there, I jerked it open.

"Sono," I said breathlessly.

He stepped inside. His eyes travelled around, and I knew he could hear the washing machine. I knew he knew what I was washing, too.

"Um, would you like some coffee?" I asked, walking in front of him in an effort to lead him into the kitchen.

He followed me, not speaking until we were in the kitchen and he had sat down. "No, thank you."

I stood in the kitchen, curling my bare toes into the cool floor. My wide eyes watched his. He just kept staring at his manga that was still on the table. I began to feel dizzy. I didn't like feeling so awkward in front of him. It was driving me mad.

"What was it you wanted to speak to me about?" Seiji asked calmly, absently picking at a bit of dried rice on the table with his thumb nail.

"Right," I stuttered.

I sat down across from him, folding my hands in my lap, then knitted my fingers together and placed them on the table. Then I straightened up and leaned towards him.

"Sono, that other man- his name is Aki, and I met him about a week ago," I began quickly.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I interupted.

"Please let me finish," I begged.

He shut his lips and nodded his head once, apologetically.

"Remember when I told you I was taking a pet-sitting job?"

He shook his head yes.

"Okay, well, a man hired me to come over and watch his rabbit. Turns out," I forced a laugh. "Aki was the rabbit and the man was a psycho. I had to have sex with Aki or else the man would hurt us both. So I did and... I didn't tell you, well, because I was embarressed and afraid and I didn't want you to hate me or be mad at me." I glanced at Sono but his gaze was so intense that I had to look down. I twiddled my thumbs. "A few days after I left him, Aki escaped from the man who beat him up real bad. Aki found me earlier today at work. I guess maybe he recognized me from my work or something, because I don't remember telling him my name while I was at the man's house. Anyway, he found me and he didn't have anywhere else to go, and he was afraid the man would be after him still, so I told him to come over here. Things just... Got out of hand. I'm sorry, Sono._ I'm so sorry!_" I bowed my head and layed my face on the table to prove how sorry I was.

"Are you okay?" Sono asked.

"What?" I raised my head.

"That man didn't hurt _you, _did he?"

My heart fluttered. I blinked rapidly and took a shaky breath. "No, no. It was... He just hurt Aki for trying to leave him."

"I understand," he said quietly. He stood up.

I scrambled to my feet as well.

"Do you remember where he lived? The address?" Sono's face was hidden with shadow.

I tilted my head. "Uhh, I think so. Why? Aki doesn't live there. In fact, I don't even know where he could be. But you shouldn't blame Aki for this. It was my choice, and-"

"I'm not going to go after Aki, Seiji," Sono chuckled at me.

"Then why do you-?"

"Someone ought to make sure that psycho gets what's coming to him, right?" He smiled slightly, winking.

"No, no, Sono." I shook my head furiously. "That guy's dangerous. I'm not giving you his address. No."

"Seiji." Sono reached forward and took my hand. "This is something I must do to prove my love. If a man is out there that wants to harm you, then I must be sure he cannot."

"But- but you don't have to prove your love to me!" I exclaimed. "I know you love me!"

"Then why would you be afraid of me getting angry?" He asked.

I faltered. "Because I'm a child," I answered at last.

Sono smiled. "I won't go after that man if you believe he is not looking for you."

"He's not, I'm sure!" I replied.

"Okay." He nodded. "But is he still looking for your friend?"

"Aki?" I blushed. I didn't like Sono referring to Aki as my friend. "I, I don't know. I guess he might-"

"Then we should go look for him." Sono released my hand and turned on his heel, marching to the front door.

"Wait!" I sputtered, trotting after him. "But you just said you weren't-"

"I'm not going after him," Sono retorted. "I'm going to help you find your friend."

I stopped moving, frozen as he opened the front door. He looked at me.

"You're too kind, Sono," I whispered, my eyes full of tears.

His lips turned up into the tiniest of smiles.

"Come," he said, offering me his hand.

I took it quickly. It was warm and comforting. I felt like leaping with joy, but I restrained myself.

He locked the door behind us and we hurried off into the night to look for the lost rabbit.


	5. Chapter 5

The night air chilled my neck and my lungs ached to pull it in, yet my hand was warm in Sono's. I was afraid of what was to come, not knowing what that would be. We jogged across the parking-lot and paused at the edge of the sidewalk, waiting to cross the intersection. Cars rumbled by with their red and orange lights, and I wanted to see if I could make it through them if I sprinted. As if sensing my desire, Sono's hand tightened its grip around mine. I realized with a sinking feeling that I didn't even know which way Aki had gone.

"It's hopeless," I groaned, hanging my head.

Sono tilted his head at me. "We will find him, Seiji," he said calmly.

"No, we can't." I retorted hotly. "He doesn't even have an apartment. I have no idea where he could be!"

"Think. He must've told you something."

"Nothing!" I snarled.

I tossed his hand out of mine, crossing my arms stubbornly. My legs began to shake. I thought of Aki walking alone down the dark sidewalk, his master driving by, reaching out and grabbing him, jerking him into his car. No one noticing, no one caring. I imagined the torture Aki must be going through, his white skin marred with the blood of fresh wounds inflicted by his master. In the back of his mind, he thought of me, cursing my name, wishing he had never met me.

I started to cry.

"Seiji." Sono was shocked. He put his hand on my shoulder. He didn't know what to say.

"He's probably getting tortured right now," I whimpered. "It's all my fault."

"Shh." He hugged me from behind. His warm chest rose and fell as he breathed against my back. Faintly, I felt his thrumming heart-beat.

"Take me to that man's house," Sono said at last, his voice gentle and warm in my ear. "He doesn't know me. I will knock on his door and ask to use his bathroom."

"That's too dangerous. What if he kidnaps you?" I wriggled out of his arms, turning around to face him.

Sono smiled. "I'm something of a celebrity, didn't you know?"

"Not to him, though! He's a sick-"

"Seiji." Sono's expression hardened. "I can take care of myself."

I couldn't argue with him. I nodded reluctantly. "Fine..." I looked up at the street signs, figuring out where I was. "Follow me, hurry!"

I sprinted off down the sidewalk. He chased me and caught up easily. We ran side-by-side, seperating only to avoid plowing over random citizens, most of whom gave us dirty looks and called us rotten names for startling them.

Soon we could run no more. We walked quickly, jogging when we could, gasping for breath in the cold. I felt a bit dizzy, but I ignored it. A cramp began to seize up my side, and that was harder to ignore.

"Are we almost there?" Sono asked as we rested briefly at a bus stop.

"Yes," I gasped out. I pointed up the road. "The apartment complex, just up there."

He stood up and began walking on without me.

"Wait!" I leapt up and hurried after him.

"You should stay here," Sono told me.

"But you don't even know which room it is!" I cried.

"Which one is it?" He stopped and looked at me.

"Umm," I hesitated. "1903, I think."

Sono resumed walking.

"Wait, we don't even know if Aki's there-"

"Stay at the bus stop, Seiji," Sono ordered. "I have my cell phone. Call me in ten minutes. If I don't answer... Call the police."

I swallowed. "Okay," I nodded.

I walked backwards until the back of my thighs hit the bench. I sat down like an obediant dog. I was shivering.

Sono smiled sadly at me. "It'll be alright" he promised.

I wasn't sure if I believed him.

He stuck his hands in his pants pockets and trotted confidently up the road, disappearing beyond the entrance of the complex.

...

Time crawled. Every twenty seconds, I looked at my phone. I swung my legs nervously. After a few minutes, it was 10:25pm, and a bus pulled up. The double doors swung open and the driver peered out at me.

I jumped to my feet. "No, sorry, I'm not waiting for the bus." I bit my lip, glancing at the apartments, then back at the bus.

He narrowed his eyes, but he did not have time to deal with me. The doors shut and the bus coughed before rolling away.

I sat down, but now I was restless, so I stood back up. In one more minute, I could call Sono. I waited another five seconds before dialing him.

I rammed the phone's speaker into my ear, the gritty ringing filling my head. "Please, answer," I moaned.

"Hello?"

My eyes widened in horror. _That's not Sono's voice._

"Is Sono there?" I asked weakly.

"I'm sorry, but you're calling after 10pm. Sono no longer accepts fan-calls after this time. Goodnight."

The phone clicked and went silent.

I blinked, unable to take a breath. My heart fluttered in my chest. "Damn you," I hissed. I shoved my phone in my pocket and charged up the road.

...

I took the stairs instead of the elevator. I was afraid he would hear the ding and know I was coming. My hands trembled and I balled them into fists as I marched down the hall to room 1903. As I approached, I saw the peephole in the door and ducked below it. Crouching down, I took a deep breath and hammered on the door four times.

Low, tip-toeing footsteps coming down the hall. I swallowed air, feeling like I was going to throw up again. I heard the shuffling sound of the man on the other side of the door, straining to see through the peephole. I kept my head down, praying he could not see me. His footsteps slowly retreated. I pounded the door again.

"Who's there?" He called.

"Daddy?" I tried to make myself sound like a little girl. I clasped my hand to my mouth, shaking my head with embarressment.

"Wrong house, kid." The footsteps walked away.

"Please," I croaked, my voice way too high-pitched. "Help me find my Daddy!" I ground my teeth together angrily. "You want another sex slave, don't you?" I snarled under my breath.

After a pause, he walked back to the door. Then, slowly, he unlocked it.

My eyes darted up, watching the doorknob. It began to turn, and my nerves screamed with excitement. The instant before he could open the door, I jumped back and threw myself into it. The door banged against something and I heard him thud to the ground. I shoved my way inside the house.

The man was on his back, his legs curling like a dying spider's. He rubbed his stomach where the doorknob hit him. There was a cut on his forehead from the edge of the door.

I didn't let myself think about it. I threw myself on top of him and began pounding him in the face.

"What the fuck?!" The man hollered and seized me by the arms, sitting up.

I proceeded to kick him in the face and chest, hating the way his mouth crunched wetly beneath my shoes, and also loving it.

Suddenly, he fell back and his arms dropped to the floor. His eyes remained partically opened, but from his vacant expression I could see that he was knocked out cold.

I pushed myself up off of him and shut the door. Then I raced down the hall and jerked open the door to the living room.

"Sono?" I cried. "Aki?"

My eyes locked onto the closet and I ran to it. But inside were only handcuffs and an orange dildo.

"Sono!" I whirled around, my heart racing. I tried to hold my breath in order to listen more carefully, but the blood was pounding in my brain and ruining my concentration.

I went back into the hall, stepping over the man in order to open another door. It was pitch-black inside, so I felt around until I found the light switch.

Naked and strapped to a sheet-less bed, Aki lifted his head.

A gag was in his mouth, a choke-collar around his neck, chains around his wrists bound him to the bed-frame. My eyes scanned downwards. His chest was slick with some kind of thick oil, mixing in with the blood of freshly made cuts and bruises. His feet hung off the end of the bed, also chained to the bed-frame. Between his legs, his penis hung limp on the bed, yet I could still see a rod of some sort protruding out of his ass.

"Oh, Aki!" I ran to him and quickly removed the gag from his mouth. The gag was drenched with spit and blood. I dropped it to the floor.

"Seiji," he mumbled. His eyes could barely focus on me. His right hand twitched against the chains. "You should not have come. G-get out, befo-"

"No, Aki," I said. "Everything is alright, now. I took care of your master." I tried to pull the cuff off his wrist, and was shocked to discover it was a real handcuff. "Where's the key?" I looked around.

"Seiji, please..."

"Do you know where the key is? Have you seen Sono?" I crouched down and looked under the bed.

_"Please..."_

"So it's you." The man's voice growled.

I hit my head on the underside of the bed in my haste to stand up. I whirled around. The man glared at me from the doorway.

"Where is Sono?" I demanded.

The man gestured to the other door across the hall, behind him. Slick, red blood ran down his face and dripped off the end of his nose. He licked his lips and for a brief moment I saw all of his teeth were strained red. I couldn't help but feel a slight bit of pride for myself.

"What did you do to him?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

Instead of answering, the man stepped forward.

Aki began to twist against his chains. "No, master, please..." he begged.

"Stop it, Aki," I scolded. "He's not your master. And he's not going to hurt you anymore."

I didn't know where my boldness was coming from, for in my very bones I was more terrified than I had ever been before. I knew for sure I was going to be killed by that man, and though I did not want to die, I also didn't want Aki to be afraid. I stepped forward to confront him.

His eyes scanned me, and I could tell by his expression that he was examining me as if I were his property.

Suddenly, I cocked back my fist and swung for his side. But before I could make contact, he stabbed a taser into my side and I screamed as electricity jolted with burning tenticles through my veins. I collapsed to the floor, and faintly, as though from a great distance, I heard Aki screaming as well.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Seiji..."_

Blackness, haze... I could not tell if my eyes were opened or closed.

"Seiji..."

_That's my name, _I thought stupidly. A pulsing pain behind my eyes shot loops of red and white in my vision. I realized my eyes were closed, so I opened them.

"Seiji!" Sono's blurry face appeared. His hands were cuffed behind his back, attached to a chain that was wrapped around the toilet. A gag flapped around his neck where he somehow must have spat it out. He strained against the chains to get to me, but without success.

"What happened? Did you call the police?"

_Shit. _

"No, Sono," I answered. "I didn't. I forgot. I'm sorry." I hung my head shamefully. I felt something tugging on my wrists, and discovered I was handcuffed as well.

"It's okay," he said uncertainly. "Are you hurt?"

"No," I said bitterly, as if I regretted that I took no damage. "But Aki, he... he just won't leave Aki alone." Tears began to roll down my face.

"Listen, Seiji," Sono said, his tone suddenly a whisper. "I've gotten a few screw loose on this toilet. I may be able to lift it up enough to get this chain out from under it, but I need you to make some noise."

"What?" I looked at him. His eyes were fierce.

"Don't worry. Just start screaming and kicking the door or something." He turned awkwardly away from me and began tugging the slack on his chains.

"Right," I nodded. I exhaled, and took a deep breath.

_"Help!"_ I screamed. "Somebody help me! Help!" I thrashed around, beating my cuffs into the door and stomping my feet into the tile. "Help!"

Sono moaned, struggling to life up the toilet. A snapping sound followed by a constant hissing sound proved that he had disconnected the water pipe. His fingers were wedged between the toilet and the floor, his back jammed up under the bowl. He planted his feet on the floor and tried to stand up, to force the toilet over. But water began to flood out, and his hands were suddenly too slick to hold on. The toilet slipped and crashed down onto the chain, jerking Sono backwards where the back of his head thudded into the rim.

My screaming died in my throat. I stared at Sono in horror as his head lolled down to his chest. Water rushed out of the toilet's bowl and from the crack in the floor, instantly soaking into his clothes and the bath mat by the sink. I watched the water rush towards me, fearfully noticing its pinkish tint.

"Sono?" I whispered weakly.

The bathroom door flew open and I fell over, for my hands had been chained to the coat hook.

"What the hell?" The man snapped, seeing the mess.

He glared down at me, narrowing his eyes. I stared up at him, helpless and exposed on my back. He lifted his heel and stepped onto my chest.

I let out a cry of pain, and he pushed harder.

"You think this is cute? You think you're clever?" He asked, leaning down to my face. He spat in my eyes, then seized my nose. I could feel his fingers tremble as he forced them together. I hollered as he twisted my nose to the side, breaking it.

"The police are on their way," I told him defiantly.

The wicked smile dropped from his eyes. He turned and left the bathroom. I stood up and began jerking on the coat hook.

He came back a moment later and before I could duck, he punched me in the stomach. As I doubled over myself, my arms hanging painfully behind me, the man poured oil onto my back. But it had a strange smell, and I realized it was gasoline.

"Wh-what are you doing? What are you doing?!" I screamed. I tried to kick him, but I slipped in the water and fell to my knees. Gas ran down my head and went into my mouth and eyes and I shook my head, spitting violently.

"Sono!" I squirmed. "Sono, wake up!" I coughed and retched, but nothing came out.

I gasped for breath, trying not to swallow the gasoline. The man seized onto my hair and held me still, then forced a gag in my mouth. I screamed, but it was too muffled to hear and it hurt my throat to try.

The man stepped over me and began pouring the can of gas onto Sono's head. After soaking into his clothes, the excess ran off him and floated on the water in yellow, oily sections.

Suddenly there was a knock on the apartment door.

"Excuse me?" A woman called. Knock, knock, knock.

The man looked at me, then sloshed out of the bathroom. He shut the door behind him, which shoved me forward. My face smacked into the water and hit the floor. I sat back up, sputtering and trying to spit through the gag. I wept for my foolishness and for what I had gotten everyone in to.

I could scarcely hear the woman's voice over the gurgling water, but I heard her mention that her ceiling was leaking. I felt a rush of relief. _She's going to call the police, now,_ I thought hopefully.

I chewed at the gag, trying to force it out of my mouth with my tongue. I rubbed my face into the side of the door, and the gag began to slip out.

After a minute or two, I heard the front door shut. The man came into the bathroom all of a sudden, kicking me out of his way. He knelt down in the water and opened the cabinet beneath the sink. He reached inside and turned off the water, then stood back up.

I watched him take a lighter out of the medicine cabinet. His thumb ran over the wheel.

My heart stopped beating. My mouth dropped open in disbelief, and the gag fell from my mouth.

_This is it_, I thought. _It's over. I failed._

The man looked at me dead in the eye, and grinned.

Suddenly a flash of white rushed passed my eyes, and Aki crashed into his master. The man stumbled backwards in the water and tripped over Sono's leg, slamming into the wall. The lighter dropped from his fingers and plopped into the water.

"Aki!" I cried.

Aki swung his bloody fists into the man's face again and again. He moved so fast, the man didn't even get a chance to defend himself. Aki socked him in the gut and the man leaned over, so Aki kneed him in the throat. His master made a strangled sound and clutched at his throat, and Aki punched him in the eye. With a wet splat, the man crumbled at Aki's feet.

Aki then leaned down and dug through the man's pockets until he found the handcuff keys. He went over to me and uncuffed me, catching me as I fell forward.

"Thank you, Aki," I said tearfully.

He didn't respond, letting me go and walking over to Sono. He undid his cuffs as well, and straightened him up.

I rushed over and pulled Sono towards me, shaking him. "Sono, Sono!" Aki stood and backed away. I cradled Sono's head to my chest, hoping that the soft wetness I felt in his hair was just water. "Please wake up."

Aki stood by the bathroom door, naked, bleeding, shivering. He stared down at his master with a detached expression.

"Help me get him up," I told Aki.

He knelt in the water and gas beside me and together we supported Sono enough to drag him out of the bathroom. We took him into the living room and laid him on the couch.

"Go get a towel," I ordered.

Aki left and came back with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"No, for him. Get one for_ him!_" I waved at Aki to hurry, for I wasn't about to leave Sono.

Aki obeyed, leaving the room. As he handed me the towel, he apologized but I ignored him.

"Sono?" I dried Sono's face and neck and carefully wrapped the towel around his head.

"It'll illegal to be a sex slave," Aki mused. "Did you know that? It's viewed as prostitution."

"Why isn't he waking up? Do you think he breathed in too much gas?"

"What my master was doing was definately wrong, and he must've known that, because he never kept any records of the clients he had come over."

"That's not really important right now, Aki!" I snapped.

Aki fell silent. He looked down at the floor.

I leaned over and kissed Sono on the cheek. He tasted like gas and it made my heart ache. "Sono," I moaned. Slowly, he began to stir.

"Sono! He's waking up!" I cried, grinning triumphantly at Aki.

Aki smiled.

I looked back at Sono and began petting the towel on his head. His eyes flinched, then opened.

"Seiji," he said softly.

"Oh, Sono!" I hugged him and he lifted his shaky arms and hugged me back.

"You two should get out while you can," Aki said.

"What?" Sono looked at me, then at Aki.

I turned to Aki, confused.

"The police will be here, soon." He looked down, rubbing his swollen, bleeding wrists from where he must've forced them through the handcuffs. "I will make sure there is no trace of you."

Aki stepped up to me and handed me my cell phone. "You dropped it in the bedroom. I blocked the number before I called the police, so they won't know it was your phone."

"Aki..." I stared at him. "Aki, what are you saying? You want us to-"

"I ran from my master for too long. I'm not going to run from the police as well." Aki turned away.

Sono sat up, then stood. "Thank you, Aki." He bowed deeply to Aki, then took my hand.

I looked at Sono, startled. "You're not even going to _try _and stop him?"

"He's made his choice," Sono said tonelessly.

"Oh, right." Aki left the room and came back. He brought back Sono's cell phone. "Here."

"Thank you." Sono tugged my hand and tried to lead me to the door.

"No, Sono, stop!" I pulled away from him. "Aki!" I whirled around.

Aki gazed at me.

"If we explain everything to the police, then no one will get in trouble!"

"I am still a sex slave and a murderer, Seiji," he told me gently.

"I'm not going to leave you, Aki." I said firmly.

"Seiji," Sono sighed.

Tears of rage filled my eyes. "No!" I shouted. I ran over to Aki and hugged him. "This is all my fault," I whimpered into his bare, oily chest. "I'm not leaving you. I don't want to choose. I just want things to be good again."

He carefully placed his hand on my head.

"It's alright," he said soothingly. "When things calm down, I will find you again. I promise."

I squeezed my eyes shut, longing to believe him, longing to hug him like that forever. But then Sono touched my shoulder.

"Come, Seiji. I hear the sirens."

Aki stepped back and Sono lead me away.

We went down the hall to the front door, and I didn't let myself look into the bathroom. Sono opened the door and guided me forward with his hand on the small of my back. I went outside and Sono followed. But I suddenly wanted to see Aki again so I spun around, but Sono shut the door, and on the other side, I heard Aki lock it.


	7. Chapter 7

Sono took me home.

We walked down the road, wet with water and gasoline, splattered with blood. Our shoes squished at each step. Sono had his arm around me. I walked stiffly, aching all over. The wind seemed especially cold. Neither of us spoke.

The walk home seemed to take hours and hours, but once it was over, I hardly remembered it.

Then we were at my place. Leaving our shoes on the step, he unlocked the door and led me inside. I followed him sullenly, hating myself for causing all of this. He took me to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Warm steam slowly filled the air, fogging the mirror that I hadn't realized I was staring at until it was concealed.

I looked at Sono. He was watching me.

Suddenly my eyes were watering. My lips trembled and I lowered my head. "I'm sick of apologizing," I sobbed bitterly. "But I'm so sorry. I don't think I'll ever _not _be sorry."

"Seiji." Sono came over to me. "Seiji," he said again, his voice meltingly sweet. He placed his hand on the side of my neck, rubbing my cheek with his thumb. He lifted my face so our eyes could meet. He gave me a small smile. "I know." His eyes were full of gloss. "I'm sorry, too. But, we can't change what has happened. I've forgiven you, and I'm sure he has as well."

I bit my lip, looking away.

Seiji dropped his hand and took a small step back. In one fluid motion, he pulled his shirt over his head. My heart-beat quickened as I looked up in time to see him strip out of his pants and underwear.

I gazed at him. He smiled, though his eyes beheld a deep sadness that I could not understand. I opened my mouth to speak, but he suddenly turned around and stepped into the shower, pulling the curtain shut after him.

I started to cry again, silently. Tears burned in my eyes before running down my face, mixing with snot that hung from my broken nose. _Sono is never going to love me again,_ I thought miserably. _There's been too much. Too much heart-ache. There's no way things will ever be as they were. I've ruined everything. Oh, poor Aki._ My face dropped into my hands and I slumped down and sat on the floor, my back against the cabinet.

"Seiji," Sono called lightly.

I lifted my head. "Yes?"

"Would you mind washing my back? My arms... After being in handcuffs, they just don't want to bend back there."

I wiped my nose with the back of my hand and got up. I hesitated uncertainly before taking off my clothes. I stepped up to the shower, a wash rag in hand.

Sono saw my shadow through the curtain and opened it, inviting me in.

The warm steam greeted me with a thousand loving hugs. I suddenly could not remember the last time I had taken a shower. An involentary smile crawled across my lips. Sono giggled at me and moved back.

I got in the shower and the water spray pounded me with heat and comfort and washed away the putrid scent of gas. Sono handed me a bar of soap and I started massaging it into the rag. White, sweet-smelling bubbles appeared and dripped from my fingers and ran down my arm. Sono turned away from me, and I proceeded to bathe him.

...

Afterwards we laid on the couch in front of the TV.

We were naked apart from the towel we had thrown across the couch, and the towels we each had wrapped around our shoulders. We were still a bit damp, but our bodies were also still hot from the hot water, so we did not feel like clothes were necessary at the moment.

Sono had his back pressed into the wall of the couch while I laid in front of him, my body curled to match his. His arm rested on my shoulder and his fingers danced through my hair. I stared absently at the TV, which was turned off. Vaguely I could see our reflections in the dark screen. We didn't speak. Sono's black mirrored self continued to stroke my hair. I closed my eyes.

...

I awoke as Sono got off the couch. He didn't know that he had woken me, and he covered me with his towel. It was cold with with water.

I laid still, watching him out of the corner of my eye as he crept away down the hall. His utter nakedness made him look vulnerable in the dark, especially since he was trying to be quiet. He went into the bathroom and shut the door before turning on the light. There was a faint crack of yellow light showing from beneath the door. It warbled as Sono moved around inside. After a moment, the toilet flushed. Soon Sono came out of the bathroom and the light disappeared.

"You're awfully sexy," I mumbled as he passed in front of the couch. He paused then faced me, his penis inches from my face.

"You caught me in a good light," he replied evenly. "Scoot over."

"I'm cold." I tucked my legs up to my chest, hugging at my knees dramatically.

"Can't have that," he said shortly. He walked away.

I sat up quickly, fearful that he was leaving me though I knew he wouldn't. I strained my eyes in the dark, but could not see him. I grasped onto the arm of the couch, waiting impatiently.

"Sono?" I whispered.

A pillow hit me in the mouth and I flailed my arms before catching it. "Hey!" I pretended to be upset.

He appeared on the couch beside me with three thick blankets a second pillow. "Sorry," he lied playfully.

He offered me a blanket and I shook it out and laid it over us. He kicked our towels in the floor and snuggled back in behind me. I laid down again, my cheek burying into the pillow. I sighed happily as Sono hugged onto me as if I were his teddy bear, the palm of his hand resting between my nipples. I slid closer to him, and my butt pressed into his stomach. In my spine, I could feel the low thumping of his heart. I closed my eyes, loving the warmth his body gave off.

He exhaled through his nostrils, and the hot air rushed against the back of my neck, tickling me. I smiled privately.

"I love you, Sono," I whispered softly.

He kissed my earlobe. "I love you too, Seiji."


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up on the couch wrapped in a warm blanket, but my toes were cold since they stuck out at the end. Faintly I smelled cooking oil and heard it popping on a hot skillet. I sat up and looked in the direction of the kitchen.

"Sono?" I called, as if I didn't know where he was.

"In here, Seiji," he called back.

The pads of my feet slapped onto the cool floor and I wrapped the blanket around myself as I hurried into the kitchen.

Sono glanced at me and smiled, flipping a fried egg with a spatula. He was dressed in one of my bath robes. He turned back to the stove.

I looked at the kitchen table and saw he had laid out a crisp, white table cloth and decorated it with small vases of purple and white flowers. Forks, spoons, and knives were all in their place, resting on light green napkins.

I yawned and hugged the blanket, blinking at the clock. "Didn't you have to work today?" I asked after a moment.

"It's alright," Sono said in a low voice, his tone soft and sweet.

I frowned. "What?" I asked. "You mean you're just going to skip work? Why?"

"It will not be difficult for me to catch up another day," he explained. He kept his back to me as he lifted the lid off a steaming pot of rice.

"Sono, you need to go to work. You can't not show up just because you don't feel like going." I scolded.

His eyes sparkled as he turned around, carrying the pot of rice. "Seiji, please, I'm an adult. I can make these kinds of decisions for myself."

I backed up so he could put the rice on the table.

"Then why don't you act like an adult and be responsible!" I snapped. I was shocked at myself for being so angry. My hands were shaking and I didn't know if I could make it stop.

Sono's forehead knitted together with confusion. He hesitated, then looked down at the pot, stirring it absently. "I'm not going to leave you again, Seiji," he said at last.

"I'm_ fine_, Sono," I retorted. "So why don't you just go? You could be getting paid to draw pictures right now, but instead you're wasting time cooking when _I'm_ _not even hungry."_

Sono turned his head away from me and I suddenly felt dizzy with the thought that I just hurt his feelings.

"You may be fine, Seiji," he said, his voice trembling with lack of control. "But I am _afraid_ to leave this apartment."

He needed a hug. I could tell by the way he was standing so vulnerably. The way his whole body shuddered as he breathed and fought back his tears, the way he couldn't let himself look at me...

My arms twitched. I longed to rush over and embrace him, but right now I was mad at him for acting like such a child. I stood still and stiff, watching him with disgust.

"Aki wouldn't have been afraid," I told him spitefully. I turned on my heel and stomped out of the room. I wasn't about to admit my own apprehension of going outside, so I just went to my bedroom and locked myself inside.

...

I sat at my desk, half-heartedly sketching manga characters on a piece of scrap paper. I drew one to resemble Sono and another to resemble myself. "You're such a child, Seiji-kun!" I wrote above Sono's head. I added some crinkles to my character's forehead, making his lips pucker into a pouting frown. "Shut up!" I wrote in a bubble.

I dropped my pencil to the table, suddenly bored. I looked around the room as if hoping for it to give me inspiration. Sighing, I picked up my pencil again and pressed its tip onto the page. Bits of lead broke into crumbs as I pressed harder, then began to draw.

Before my eyes, Aki's face began to appear. My hand swished and my fingers clenched and my wrist ached, and his details slowly came alive. The delicate lightness of his features, the wispy, sweet-smelling hair, the hardness of his gentle eyes... The pencil fell from my grasp.

I stared at my rough sketch for a moment, then snatched it up and crumbled it into a ball. I threw it over my shoulder but didn't hear it hit the floor, for the carpet cushioned its fall.

...

The ceiling gazed down at me patiently. It waited for me to make the first move.

I glared up at it, my eyes burning with hot liquid.

"I should go apologize," I mumbled at last, turning my head to the side so the tears could run down my cheek.

The ceiling didn't respond. It merely hung there with its oppressiveness, keeping me trapped in my room unable to escape except through the bedroom door.

I sat up and slowly slid off the bed. A clock told me the hour, and it had gotten quite late in the afternoon. I wondered if Sono would even still be here. I was surprised, and, I'll admit, a bit disappointed that he hadn't tried to come in the room or talk to me.

...

I crept like a mouse, as silent as possible, through the hallway. My ears strained and my breath held, my heart-beat quickening. Where are you, Sono? I thought anxiously.

Suddenly I could hold my breath no longer, and I gasped it out and sucked it back in. I blinked and realized the TV was on in the living room. I walked inside, no longer caring to be quiet.

Sono was sitting on the couch, hugging a pillow to his chest. His eyes were fixated on the television, darting back and forth to take in every detail. The volume was down low, so I could barely hear it.

I wanted to speak, but I didn't know what to say. Instead, I walked over and sat in his lap, pushing the pillow out of his hands and laying my face against his chest. I curled my arms around his back, pressing myself against him desperately, absorbing his warmth. I closed my eyes and tears soaked into his shirt.

After a moment's hesitation, Sono hugged me back, resting his cheek on the top of my head.

His heartbeat was quick and unsteady, and his chest shook at each breath. I could feel everything through my jaw. I could tell he was trying not to cry. Once I realized this, it only made my crying worse.

"I'm so sorry, Sono," I whimpered.

"Me too," he said weakly.

My eyes focused on the TV and I saw that Sono was watching the News. A helicopter was giving us a bird's-eye view of an apartment complex. I frowned as my stomach filled with a gritty, cold, wet feeling.

Suddenly the TV turned off. I tilted my head and saw Sono holding the remote. He glanced down at me and dropped the remote onto the end table by the couch. He laid his hand on my shoulder and rubbed me with his thumb.

"What were they talking about?" I asked, my voice stretched thin with uncertainty.

"Nothing much, just something about packages being sent to the wrong addresses." He shrugged but I could tell he was lying by the way his voice tweaked.

"Turn it back on," I told him, sitting up and staring him straight in the face.

"Seiji," he began, and I knew he was about to try and argue, so I leaned over and snatched the remote, jumping off of the couch. I ran around the couch and stood behind it so he could not stop me. But he didn't try. His shoulders slumped and he, too, stared at the TV as I turned it back on.

This time, I recognized the apartments instantly. But then it faded away. I walked around the couch and stood directly in front of the TV, not caring whether or not Sono could see. A reporter appeared in his news room and he held a stack of crisp white papers in his hands. He glanced at the papers, then at the camera before him and spoke.

"To those of you just tuning in, we have a breaking news alert. In response to a 119 call, a man was found in his apartment, beaten nearly beyond recognition and soaked in gasoline. A child was also there in similar condition. The majority of the home was flooded and reeked of gasoline, which was first thought to be an issue of broken pipes.

"Upon further investigation, the man was revealed to be in the sex-slave market, and that the child was just one of his unfortunately many victims. Cameras throughout the house have helped investigators discover this awful truth. Though complaints had been made against the man for making too much noise, none of the other residents at the complex ever suspected anything out of the ordinary. Despite the landlord's consoling claims, many of the residents are planning on moving out."

The news reporter paused, touched his ear-piece, and nodded. "More on this story as it develops." And commercials for American products started playing.

"Wh-" My mouth hung open. I swallowed empty air. I tried to blink once but my eyelids would not close. "I don't understand."

Sono didn't speak.

"Why were they calling Aki a child?" I asked the grinning babysitter who was grateful to be paid in chewing gum. "Sono?" I turned around.

"I don't know, Seiji," he said rather unhappily.

"Well..." I struggled to move my tongue. "What should we do?"

"What _can_ we do?" Sono asked bitterly. "Nothing. We don't know enough. Besides, it's none of our concern. The police will take care of things."

"Police?" I sputtered.

I threw the remote at Sono's head and he didn't flinch until after it hit the back of the couch right beside his ear. He scowled.

"Seiji, calm down."

"No, Sono," I retorted. "You just stay here." I gestured for him to stay seated. "It's too scary outside for you. _I'm _going to go get Aki." I turned and marched towards the front door.

"Seiji, wait just a minute!" He scurried up after me. "You don't even know if he's there! If he's truly a child, then he's probably being held under police custody."

"I'm going to find out, Sono!" I yelled. "I'm not going to abandon him again!"

Sono hesitated, gazing at me as if he did not know who I was.

We stared at each other, my hand on the front doorknob, him standing in the hall.

He gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "Take my car," he said decisively. "It's faster than yours." He handed me his keys.

My eyes began to burn again. I took his hand instead. "Please come with me," I begged, feeling quite pathetic.

His fingers opened into my palm and the keys slipped into my hand. He gently pulled away. "Not this time, Seiji." He said firmly.

Our eyes met and the breath caught in my lungs. I balled my hand into a fist around the car keys, nodding sharply. Facing the door, I inhaled thinly, my lips shaking. I put my hand on the cold doorknob and jerked it open and hurried out, shutting it behind me.


	9. Chapter 9

Three police cars with silently flashing lights greeted my vision as I turned Sono's car into the apartment complex. My eyes darted up to Aki's room, and I could faintly make out yellow caution tape stretched across the door. I swerved into a parking space and dove out of the car.

"Aki?" I called recklessly, running to the police cars.

Five officers turned to me with suspicious expressions.

"Hold on, son," one told me, sticking out his hand to stop me.

I frowned. My finger pointed upwards. "That was my friend's place," I said. "His name was Aki. Where is he?"

The officers looked at each other.

"He was taken to the hospital," the gray-haired one told me.

"Which one?" I asked pleadingly.

They told me, and I turned and sprinted back to the car. Although it terrified me to do so, I ignored the officers' cries for me to stop and come back. I threw myself into the driver's seat as if I were being shot at, my heart beating its way into my mouth. The car rumbled to life and I punched the gas, launched over a curb, and sped back out onto the road.

...

At the front desk, I told the woman I was looking for someone. I told her his first name was Aki, and I was ashamed to admit that I didn't know his last name when she asked. She narrowed her eyes at me and asked what he was brought in for.

"Cuts and bruises, maybe," I said quickly. "I... I don't know. _Please_, I have to find him."

The woman looked at her computer. "Room 402," she said blandly. "Fourth floor."

"Thank you very much." I bowed my head and walked quickly away.

The elevator ride seemed to take forever, but once the doors opened up onto the fourth floor, it seemed like the ride had been instantaneous.

The thick scent of latex gloves and alcohol wipes rushed into my face as I jogged down the hall.

My eyes blurred and focused on door numbers, at last finding room 402. The door was almost shut, all but a crack. There was an obvious difference with the air temperature in the hall and the room. It chilled the palm of my hand as I placed it onto the cool wood. I could hear the steady, shrill beeping of Aki's heart. Suddenly I felt like I wasn't supposed to be there. But my hand balled into a fist and my knuckles rapped the door anyway.

"Yes?" Aki answered. "Come in."

I swallowed and pushed the door open.

"Seiji."

Aki sat up straight, though it obviously pained him to do so. The white sheets slid down from his chest, which was covered in rough patches like an old quilt. Some of the patches were quite saturated with blood. His ribs sucked in and out of his skin as his breathing quickened in time with his heart moniter.

I shut the door behind me and went to him.

"Hello, Aki," I said weakly, sitting on the doctor's stool beside the bed. He smelled like rust.

His eyes locked onto mine and didn't unlock. I had to look away.

"What..." I bit my lip, staring at the cords that dangled from his bed. "What happened after... After I left?"

Aki blinked once, his gaze unnerving me. "The ambulance came and took my master. The paramedics called the police once they saw our situation. Then another ambulance came and brought me here."

"Oh." I twiddled my fingers, then began picking at my nails. Then something puzzled me. "Why did you call the ambulance?" I asked, looking up. "Did you not kill him?"

"I could never kill my master," Aki answered robotically.

"He's not your master any more, Aki!" I reminded him. "You're free now, remember?"

Aki didn't speak. He looked down at his hands, which were folded neatly across his stomach. "Why are you here, Seiji?" He asked softly.

"To-" I hesitated, caught off guard. "To see you."

My voice must have not been too convincing, for Aki gave me a sour look.

"Ask me, Seiji," he said sternly.

"What?" I glanced around, then looked at him.

Aki brushed the hair from his eyes, saying nothing.

I blushed, embarressed that I was so easy to read. "How old are you, Aki?" I asked shyly.

"Sixteen," he replied.

I shook my head with disbelief. "You're still just a kid," I muttered. I sighed and smacked my hands to my forehead. "I'm such an idiot," I complained.

"Seiji," Aki said fiercely. "I am no child."

"Have you even finished school?" I asked.

"Is that really important right now?"

"Are you an orphan or something?" I demanded heatedly, my words coming out in a rush. "How long were you with that man? Did he kidnap you? I still don't understand _why_ you didn't kill him when you had the chance. Why didn't you?"

"Yes," he said slowly. "I am an orphan, but not for much longer. And I have been with my master for three years. He took me in off the streets, and for that I am indebted to him."

Neither of us spoke for a few minutes.

His heart continued to beat steadily in little green zig-zags on the moniter, the low beeping being the only sound apart from the low thumps of people walking up and down the hall outside the room.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Aki asked quietly.

"Don't be like that, Aki!" I snapped. "I didn't just come up here to ask you questions, I... I wanted to-"

"To what, Seiji?"

Our eyes met. Mine were uncertain, while his were hard as ice, and ready to melt.

"I wanted to..." My words fumbled and faded away.

As I stared into his eyes, I realized how little I knew about him. And it both terrified and excited me.

I swallowed and reached forward with my hand, cupping his cheek in my palm. He tilted his face into my palm, closing his eyes, enjoying my warmth. _Oh God,_ am I really doing this? I wondered as I stood up from the stool, leaning my face towards Aki's. My lips parted with tiny strings of drool, and I pressed them down onto his.

_Yes._ I was.


	10. Chapter 10

A knock at the door startled us back into reality.

I quickly slipped off of Aki and sat down on the stool with a whump just as the door creaked open, letting in the harsh white light of the hallway.

The nurse came in, bearing a small tray with a pill bottle and a glass of water. She looked at Aki and me questioningly, for we were both red-faced and out of breath yet trying to hide it.

"Mr Ayamatsu?" She asked, glancing at a folder lying on the tray.

"Yes?" Aki lifted his chin.

"May I speak to you in private?"

"That won't be necessary," Aki replied.

Again the nurse gave me a strange look and I, blushingly, turned my face to the floor. Aki reached his hand down from the covers and took mine. My eyes welled with tears. I felt blissful and miserable at the same time, and it hurt my stomach. My fingers clenched around Aki's hand.

"Okay, well, Mr Ayamatsu," the nurse began. "Your test results have come back and you have no internal injuries."

Aki nodded, as if had known that already.

"But you do have an infection that needs to be cleared up before it has time to worsen." She stepped forward and handed Aki two white pills. Aki took it, then hesitated when she tried to give him the water. But he released my hand and took the glass, thanking her.

"It might make you drowsy," the nurse added.

He tossed the pills into his mouth, took a swig of water, and tilted his head back as he gulped it all down.

My mouth turned wet watching him, his hair flowing behind him, his eyes closing only for an instant as he swallowed, a single drop of water escaping from his lips to roll down his chin.

Aki looked at me, the glass of water still in his hand. He offered it to me.

"No, no thank you." I said, waving it away, feeling flustered.

Aki looked at the nurse and held out the glass and she took it immediately. I then felt a bit foolish.

"Wh-what kind of infection does he have?" I asked the nurse.

Aki nodded at the nurse, granting her permission to speak.

"A urinary tract infection," she said rather distastefully.

"Oh," I mumbled. I wasn't enjoying the whole hospital situation.

"Will that be all?" Aki asked her.

The nurse glanced at her folder.

"No," she answered. "The doctor said I can unhook you now." She walked over to the heart monitor, and my own heart began to race.

"What are you doing?" I cried, jumping up from the stool. "Pulling the plug? You can't!"

The nurse paused, giving me a disgusted look.

"Seiji," Aki said, his voice so gentle and sweet that it stopped me flat in my tracks.

I looked at Aki and felt my face burning with embarrassment as I realized what she meant.

The nurse took Aki's hand and removed the monitor from his finger. Almost instantly, Aki's heart stopped beating on the screen and flatlined with a wailing, constant "_bee-". _The nurse turned to the machine and flipped and switch and it went silent. She gathered up all the cords and rolled the machine to the door.

"I'll be back to check on you in an hour. If you need me sooner, just press that button." She pointed to a red and white picture of a nurse imbedded into the bed's frame near Aki's head.

"Thank you," Aki said.

The nurse opened the door and started to go out, but then she looked over her shoulder and her rude stare flicked from Aki and lingered on me.

"Visiting hours are over at 8pm," she blurted all of a sudden.

I frowned at her, and she pursed her lips and quickly left the room. The door shut with a metallic clunk.

A few seconds of desolate silence passed.

I sat down on the stool, wondering how long I had been standing there.

Now there was not even the sound of the heart monitor to keep us company.

I stared at my knees and my hands that hung between them. I didn't know what to say. With Sono, there wasn't ever a need to fill the emptiness with words. We could simply be silent and understand each other just the same. But... With Aki, I didn't know what to do. _Am I supposed to speak or be quiet? _I wondered nervously. But he isn't talking, either. Is he enjoying the quiet, or does he feel as awkward as I do?

Suddenly the sheets began to rustle and I jerked my head up to see Aki trying to get out of bed. For a hopeful and gut-wrenching moment, I thought he was getting out of bed so he could come over and kiss me, and the very thought sent my neck prickling with sweat. But then he spoke.

"I have to use the restroom," he said in a low voice. "Will you come with me?"

"Um, yeah. Sure."

I stood and went to him, supporting him with my shoulder. His hand rubbed down my neck and rested between my shoulder blades.

"Thank you." His warm breath tickled my ear. I turned my face to him, but he was already staring straight ahead.

I swallowed and walked him to the door. Out we went into the hall with me staring down at our feet, being careful not to step on Aki, for his feet were bare and appeared as delicate as sand dollars.

"Where are you going?" A nurse asked us as she pushed an empty gurney.

"Restroom," I replied.

"Would you like a wheel chair?" She asked.

I started to speak, but Aki spoke first.

"No thank you."

I may have imagined it, but I think Aki tightened his hold onto me. Either way, I couldn't help but grin.

...

I washed my hands in the sink as I waited for Aki. I wasn't particularly dirty, but I needed to make some kind of noise so I would not have to hear Aki's inconsistent sharp intakes of breath as he struggled to urinate. I winced as Aki let out a small, accidental yelp.

I stared in the mirror, staring at Aki's stall behind me, feeling bad for him. I had had a urinary tract infection before, and they were not fun in the slightest.

Then the toilet flushed and the stall opened. I smacked off the water faucet and turned around.

Aki stumbled out, supporting himself on the dirty, metal frame of the stall, looking very much like a man hung-over.

"Sorry," he said shyly, knowing I had heard him.

"No, don't be," I said automatically. I rushed over and tried to help him, but he shook his head.

"I'm ok," he told me. He drug himself to the sink and methodically began filling his hands with soap.

I stepped back, feeling useless and in the way.

Aki stared down into the sink, watching the soap and water swirl down the drain as he slowly rubbed his hands together.

I scuffed my foot against the cold tile, then followed the tile to Aki's bare feet. Traveling upwards, I noticed his hospital gown was untied in the back, and it exposed his nakedness.

I moved forward, silently, swiftly, unconsciously holding my breath. I squatted down. My fingers reached and took hold of the two dangling strings that hung from his gown. Aki froze and became completely still as he felt me tugging on the strings.

"You're untied," I mumbled, tying a little bow. I straightened up.

As I stepped back, finished, he turned around. His eyes were dark and unreadable. I rubbed the back of my neck uncomfortably.

"Um... Are you hungry?" I asked, needing some kind of conversation. "I can go find the cafeteria..." I pointed my thumb towards the door of the restroom, but my motivation abruptly left and my hand dropped to my side. Aki's gaze was too intense for me to focus.

He walked up to me and instinctively I took a step back, but then he was right in front of me. Without warning, he threw his arms around my back and crushed himself against me, pressing his cheek into my chest. I felt tears warm the front of my shirt with their salty wetness.

For a moment, I believed I understood how Sono felt to have me as his lover, to be the dominant male, the elder and thus the respected one. I ran my fingers through Aki's hair, hugging him closer to me, and a smile crawled across my lips.

...

Visiting hours ended as the nurse said they would, so I left Aki's room obediently. But once the coast was clear, I went back inside.

Aki grinned at me as I hurried over, kicking off my shoes and wiggling out of my pants. He leaned forward and pulled my shirt over my head, then lifted up the covers so I could get in.

We snuggled together in the tiny, stiff, hospital bed. His body was warm and soft and melted into mine like softened butter. We faced each other in the dim light, our eyes sparkling. I tilted my head forward and kissed at his throat.

"Seiji," he whispered, and shuddered at my kiss. His hand seized onto my arm and he hugged it like a doll, curling up onto his side. He buried his nose into my chest, and his hot breath against my skin made me feel giddy.

I ran my fingers through his hair, wanting to pull his head back and kiss his mouth. But I could tell he was exhausted. He needed to rest. I let my arm fall over his back, drawing him close to me. Relaxing, I rested my cheek in the soft nest of his hair.

He sighed, a gentle, purring sound much like that of a cat.

I smiled to myself, my eyelids growing heavy despite the night being so young.

I wondered if Sono was worried about me, or if he even cared where I was or what I was doing. I recalled accidentally leaving my cell phone in Sono's car, and I was grateful for that. He could not pester me, now. I'll talk to him tomorrow, I thought reassuringly. He can wait until then.

I exhaled through my nose, then yawned and closed my eyes. Aki's knees drew up closer against my thighs, but then he was still. Soon my mind drifted off, and I slipped into a peaceful slumber.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, the nurse came in and told Aki he could go home, carrying a small stack of his freshly-washed clothes. She was not pleased to see me there. I had barely gotten Aki dressed before she hastened us out of the room and rudely told us to have a nice day.

We made our way to the counter, and Aki told me in a low voice that he had no money to pay his bills with. I told him I would pay for it, and I repeated my statement to keep him from objecting.

"Thank you, Seiji," he said softly.

As I wrote out a check, the doctor appeared and handed Aki his antibiotics and told him how often to take them, and he also wrote him a perscription for vitamin D. Aki took the plastic bag containing his pills and thanked him, then followed me to the elevator.

I pressed the button and we stood quietly, waiting. I looked up and down the hall. A janitor was cleaning up a spill with a mop. A lone wheelchair was left outside of the bathroom. I glanced at Aki. He may as well have been a statue. Stiff, silent, the bag dangling delicately from three closed fingers. His eyes fixed on the elevator.

Suddenly an idea hit me. Supressing a grin, I walked off down the hall. I heard Aki take one step after me, but not any more. I reached the wheelchair and swiftly kicked off the brake locks and rolled it back to Aki. I swiveled it around and parked it right behind him.

"Here," I offered, holding it still.

Aki turned his head to look at me.

"Seiji, I can managed just fine without that. Thank you, though." He faced front again.

I frowned. I backed the wheelchair up a bit, then shoved it forward into the back of his legs.

With a whump, Aki sat down. Bitterly, he rubbed his leg where the chair hit him. He didn't try to get up.

I felt as though I should apologize, but I was too ashamed to do so.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid apart. I pushed the wheelchair and we glided smoothly inside.

An older man was in the elevator. He held a drooping bouquet of roses in his fist. He looked at us with tired, gray eyes.

"Hello." I nodded to him, but he didn't acknowledge me.

Aki reached out and pressed the button for the lobby. The doors rumbled shut and the elevator began to go down, bringing about a pulling, sinking feeling in my stomach.

The doors opened at last and the older man pushed passed us and left. I took hold of the handles and pushed Aki out.

We walked by the waiting room and crossed the lobby. A few people gave us odd looks, for Aki by no means appeared handicapped, but no one tried to stop us. Not until we went outside.

"Sir, wheelchairs are not aloud outside of the building unless they're being pushed by a nurse," a nurse said heatedly, giving Aki suspicious looks. She walked over, her arms outstretched. "If you are able to walk, please get up. Otherwise, I will take you to your car."

"Run," Aki whispered.

I was stunned. "What?" I asked, though I knew what he said. I tilted my head and looked at him, and despite him staring down into his lap, I could see he was trying not to smile.

I grinned, my heart beginning to race.

"Hold on," I whispered into his ear.

Aki grasped onto the armrests.

"Sir." The nurse was insistent. She took another step.

I hunched down and shoved into the wheelchair, jolting it forward. Aki pressed into the back of the chair, and I began to run.

We raced down the sidewalk, thumping into cracks and skidding around pedestrians.

The wind rushed into our faces, cool and light and free. The morning sun warmed us with its tingling rays. The day was full of promise. I laughed wildly and Aki joined me as the nurse yelled at us to come back.

With a quick glance, I launched us off the curb and we crashed onto the pavement. I thought for a moment that the wheels had broke, but they continued to roll, so I continued to run.

I could see Sono's car. I headed straight for it. A shrill honk to my left startled me and I jerked the wheelchair out of the way as a car tried to back up out of a parking space. A scowling mother held onto her two children, who watched us eagerly with bright, jealous eyes.

At last, we reached the car and I skidded my feet across the ground until we stopped. Breathless, red-faced, our hair wild, we looked at each other and grinned. I held out my hand and helped Aki out of the wheelchair.

"Should we bring it back?" I asked him, glancing at the hospital.

"Nah," he said. "Someone else might want a ride." Aki walked over to the car, placing his hand on the trunk. "Is this your car?" He asked.

"No, it's Sono's," I muttered reluctantly, parking the wheelchair by the curb.

He lifted his hand. "Oh." He waited by the passenger side until I unlocked it.

I got inside and started the car. I buckled up instantly out of habit, but noticed Aki made no move to. "Put on your seatbelt," I told him.

He looked at me as if he didn't understand, then he seized onto the belt and pulled it down across his chest, buckling it.

My phone was in the cupholder, and I saw it had eleven missed calls from Sono. I didn't even touch it. I pretended it didn't exist.

We drove back to my place. The drive was short but it felt so long, for neither of us spoke.

I parked the car right where Sono had left it and got out. We walked side by side to my house, so close that our hands almost touched. I longed to hold his hand, my heart skipping at the idea. But something held be back. Probably fear. I sighed and Aki looked at me but still we didn't speak. At the door, I got out my key and unlocked it and went inside.

Sono was laying on the couch and I walked passed him without a word, with Aki on my heels. "Seiji?" He said anxiously, sitting up straight. He watched us with disbelief as I completely ignored him.

We went into the bedroom and shut the door. I took a deep breath, then faced Aki.

"I'm going to get rid of him," I explained. "So just... Stay here. I'll be back when he's gone."

"You don't have to do that," he said weakly.

"It's my choice," I said sternly. I hesitated at his expression, and my eyes softened. "Just as it is your choice to stay or not."

Aki lifted his eyes. "I will stay until you ask me to go."

His determination was unnerving. My insides squirmed warmly within me.

"Ill be right back," I promised.

I left the room and went back into the den where Sono still sat.

He turned his head and watched me as I walked towards him. I stood two feet away. He remained sitting like a child in trouble.

"Seiji." He shifted on the couch as if he were about to get up. "I was so worr-"

"Sono," I interupted. "I think we should stop seeing each other."

Sono froze, then melted, his shoulders slumping. "Because of him?" He asked dully.

I glanced at the bedroom door, knowing Aki was behind it.

"Yes," I said firmly. "What we had together was fun, and that's all it was. Now I have someone that truely needs me, and doesn't just want to come over for casual sex."

"Come now, Seiji," Sono said in a painfully amused tone. "You often wanted it more than I."

"Be serious, Sono," I retorted.

He pursed his lips.

"I like you, and I hope one day we can be friends again, but right now... I'd rather you just went away for awhile." I pulled his car keys out of my pocket and handed them to him.

Sono sighed. "I understand." He stood up and suddenly he appeared to be trapped in an old man's body. Even his eyes aged a hundred years. He looked at me and gave me a small smile, taking the keys. "I will not impose on your life any further, Seiji. Though I, for one, saw our relationship as more than just casual sex. But," he shrugged. "I guess that was just me."

He walked to the front door and sat to put on his shoes.

I stood there for a beat before hurrying over. I opened the door as he straightened up. He looked at me, a sparkle of mischief still there in his eyes, just behind the wall of tears.

"Oh, and if I were you, I would just go ahead and delete the messages I left. Don't bother listening to them. It could make things uncomfortable." He winked at me. "Goodbye." He bowed to me and spun around, marching defiantly out of the door. I pushed it shut after him.

I felt the weight of my cell phone in my pocket, and curiousity whelled up inside me. I saw he had left eleven voice mails with each phone call. All it takes is a simple press of a button and I will know what he said, I thought. But just as easy to use, the delete button waits. I pressed it, and everything was immediately erased.

I took a deep breath, walked back down the hall, and opened the bedroom door.


	12. Chapter 12

I slept with Aki that night.

After breaking up with Sono, which, though at the time I did not believe it to be so, I did rather cruelly, I rejoined Aki in the bedroom with a heavy heart. I was relieved to be done with Sono, to be sure, but he had occupied a rather large chunk of my life, and filled each moment with joy. I was going to miss him.

I stood in the threshold of my bedroom looking rather glum, so Aki came to me and wrapped his pale arms around my back, pulling his chest forward into mine in a thin, yet fierce embrace. I hugged him back, biting my lip to hold my tears at bay. I nodded once to show that I would be alright, and after a moment longer, he let me go.

Soon after that, we donned pajamas, shut off the lights, and climbed into bed. I wondered briefly whether or not Sono had slept in my bed, wondered if I should have changed the bed-sheets to rid them of his scent and their sentimentality, but then none of that really matter.

We got in bed and snuggled beneath feather-light blankets and squished our heads into over-stuffed pillows. At first, we stayed quietly on our respective sides. Aki, no doubt, thought I needed my space. But I was lonely without him close to me, and I longed to feel the warmth of his body blushing against my skin. I rolled over, rustling the sheets, and tucked myself into the curve of his body, draping my arm over his shoulder and resting my hand against his chest. Like a child squeezing a teddy bear, I instantly felt better. With a soft sigh, I rested my cool nose against the nape of his neck, in a nest of tiny peach-fuzz hairs. Aki moved his arm and took hold of my hand, lacing his fingers through mine in the dark. I closed my eyes, tingling with warmth, and soon feel asleep.

...

Morning came without a sound, without an indication.

My eyes opened and the room was still dark. When I inhaled through my nose, Aki's hair tickled at my upper lip. I blinked and yawned, rolling over onto my back so as not to disturb him.

"Good morning," Aki said suddenly, his voice low and sudden in the dim room.

"Good morning," I replied. "If it even _is _morning," I added. "What time is it?"

I fumbled around for my phone or a clock but I couldn't see. I patted the air beside the bed in search for the end-table, missing it by almost a foot. Finally, my hand smacked down onto the table. I found the lamp and turned it on. The light filled the room with a harsh, bright unrelentingness. Collectively, we groaned.

"Sorry," I said quickly, turning it back off. The room seemed fade into darkness once more, rather than drop into it. When I blinked, white and red spots prickled behind my eyelids.

"It's late," Aki told me. "Sono must have covered the windows. But look, you can still see the light behind the curtain."

So Sono _did _sleep in here, I thought. I felt the mattress jiggle as Aki sat up. I could just make out his shadowy form. Beyond him, I could see a dim white outline of the window, like a rectangle drawn out of chalk.

"You're right," I said agreeably. I stood and walked around the bed, half-way tripping over a lump of clothes in the floor. With my hands straight out in front of me, I reached the window and pulled apart the thick, navy curtain. My eyes instantly squinted in protest, then widened eagerly as they adjusted to the brightness.

Outside, the world was brilliantly colored with mid-morning sunlight. Glistening cars rumbled and rolled along strips of black pavement, trees like decorations on a cake lining either side. Clouds drifted sleepily across a wide, blue sky.

My right eye caught a fluttering motion, and I turned. Aki was watching me, slowly running a delicate hand through his smooth, light-violet hair.

"How about some breakfast?" He said cooly, and I wasn't quite sure if he was asking.

...

I looked up a recipe for pancakes. I thought it might be fun to try something different, more playful than my typical breakfast of rice and fried eggs. I asked Aki if he had ever had pancakes before, and he merely shook his head.

I handed him a cookbook and he measured out the ingredients while I heated a pan on the stove, then I beat the ingredients all together in a bowl.

After following all instructions, I poured the batter out into the hot pan slowly. But the it was small, so only one pancake would fit at a time. We hovered our noses above the sputtering pan, the heat itching at our skin, and watched the pancake bubble and turn golden brown. I grabbed a spatula to turn it over as the book said to, but Aki took it front my hand.

"I want to try it," he said. I straightened up and slid back, and he moved closer.

He teased the spatula at the wet edge of the pancake, then pushed it under with sudden swiftness and flipped it over. It sizzled and hissed angrily, more bubbles gurgling out across the pan. But the top of the pancake was perfectly cooked.

"Good job, Aki!" I blurted out.

A smile curled at the corner of his mouth, but he didn't meet my eye. After another minute, he held out his hand to me, palm up. I was confused for a second, but then I realized what he wanted. I snatched the plate off the counter and put it in his hand. He took it and held it close to the pan, then flicked the pancake out and onto the waiting plate.

I took the plate back and put it on the counter, then offered him the bowl of pancake batter. He poured it carefully, just as I had done.

The recipe we had followed made enough batter for twelve pancakes, and I felt a little foolish for not paying attention to that detail. After we made three more perfect pancakes, our dedication to instruction-loyalty abandoned us.

Aki started it.

He poured the batter out into the pan, then tried to shape it with a spoon into what he claimed was a heart. But the pan was too hot: The pancake stuck to it before it could be shifted about. So he finished cooking it and put it with the others, and we now had a lumpy, lopsided pancake.

I tried next.

We turned down the heat a little bit, and I tried to pour the batter in the outline of a heart, then fill it in with more batter. I ended up pouring out too much and just flooding the whole pan with batter. We ended up with a thick, chewy pancake that looked much like a Frisbee. We laughed as I up-turned the pan, letting that huge pancake flop down on top of the stack.

Aki was determined to make a heart. He poured with such cautious patience that it drove me mad.

"Hurry up, it's going to burn!" I snapped at him, jealously just wanting my turn to doodle with the pancake batter.

"Shh," he hissed between his teeth. He finished filling in his pancake, and I was surprised when it didn't spread out and turn messy. It stayed in a heart, even after he flipped it over. However, one side was a little more brown than the other, and I couldn't help but rub that fact in his face.

"I told you you'd burn it!" I sang, grabbing the bowl to take my turn. But he was grinning with pride as he slid his heart onto the plate, and I was grinning, too.

I tried to make a happy face, but it just smudged out into a regular pancake. Aki made another heart just to prove that he could. I made Mickey Mouse ears. Aki made a square. For some reason, his square pancake was hilarious. We were still laughing as I took my next turn, drizzling the batter into a carrot-shape.

He suddenly grew serious, and his sudden silence made me choke back my giggles with uncertainty. I glanced at him, but he was staring intensely down at my pancake design.

"What?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

"Seiji," he said quietly. "Is that what I think it is?"

I looked down at my carrot pancake. I tilted my head at it. Sure, it was a bit thicker than I had wanted, but it still looked like a carrot to me.

"What?" I frowned at him. "It's a carrot."

He raised his eyebrows, his seriousness fading. "A carrot?" He didn't believe me.

"Yes! It's a carrot, because when we first met, I thought you were a rabbit. What else did you think it was...?" I looked at him, and he was holding his hand over his mouth, covering up his smile.

"Nothing, nothing." He said lightly. "A carrot," he repeated. He looked down at the pancake.

I jerked my head toward the pan, and my face suddenly began to burn with embarressment. _What else do short, stubby carrots resemble? _I smacked the palm of my hand against my forehead. "No, no, no!" I protested, so stunned with humiliation that I thought I might be close to tears. "It's a _carrot,_ not... Not..."

"A penis?" Aki offered, his voice dripping with amusement.

_"No!"_ My voice was desperately high. "It's not that! I swear, it's a carrot!"

"Oh, that's alright then," he said easily. He slipped the spatula under the pancake and turned it over before it could burn.

I stood there, my red face hidden beneath my hands, shaking my head.

A few moments later, Aki put my penis with the rest of the pancakes and he managed to make one last pancake before we ran out of batter. This last time, he just made a regular pancake-shaped pancake.

We sat down at the kitchen table and began to eat. Most of the pancakes were cooled off and slightly sticky from being in a moist, warm stack. But we didn't mind. We tested a variety of toppings on them to make them taste better. The pancakes themselves were pretty bland, so they instantly absorbed whatever flavor we put on them.

Melted butter, soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, maple syrup, strawberry preserves, whipped cream, seasame oil. Everything we tried was either too sweet, or too strange a combination. However, we ate most of the pancakes covered in strawberry preserves and lathered with whipped cream. It was a good breakfast.

...

Afterwards we cleaned the kitchen together and sipped hot, green tea to settle our rather uneasy stomaches.

But then it came time that I could no longer avoid going to work. My boss had called me three times during our meal. Luckily, my phone had been left in the bedroom and I hadn't heard it. But I suppose it was also lucky that I happened to go into the bedroom looking for my missing left sock and stepped on my phone in the floor, seeing I had missed calls.

I took a hasty shower, my boss having threatened to fire me in his angry voice-mails, and got dressed. Aki didn't know what I needed or how to help, so he just stood there, trying to stay out of the way, watching me dash around the house gathering papers and notebooks and cramming them in various folders and at last into my briefcase.

I had already apologized a million times over, but I did it once more for good measure as he walked me to the door. I stomped my shoes on and looked at him, my eyes wide and regretful as I knew I had to leave him. Just as children aren't allowed to bring their puppies to school, I knew I couldn't take Aki to work with me.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I just have to write a few more pages and turn them in. It shouldn't take more than three hours."

"I understand," Aki replied. He stood there stiffly, as if waiting on some hidden queue to bow.

I gazed at him, my heart skipping a beat. I pretended it was because I was feeling rushed and nervous because of my job. But it dawned on me that it was foolish to pretend anymore. I stepped up to Aki and kissed him sweetly on the lips, unable to hug him because my hands were holding my things. He opened his mouth and I slid my tongue inside. He tasted warm and slick and strawberryie. I backed away at last and smiled at him. He opened his eyes slowly, a smile creeping over his features.

"Goodbye, Aki," I said, bowing shortly.

"Goodbye." He mirrored me.

I waved foolishly, grinning, and hurried out the door.


	13. Chapter 13

It was hard to focus on my work. My characters were too cheerful, their eyes too sparkly. The words trapped in bubbles over their heads were too cliche, too sappy. A man took the hands of a woman he loved and his eyes filled with tears as he told her he just wanted her to be happy, and she responded by throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him, her pale face blushing just below the eyes.

I dropped my pencil and pushed the papers away with one finger, as if disgusted by their contents.

My boss happened to come by at that moment. He paused at my desk and looked down at my drawings, and since he saw I wasn't working, he must've assumed I was finished. He scooped the papers up in his hands and thumbed through them, lingering, to my unexpected repulse, on the previous page where I had the young couple undress and bathe each other by candle-light.

"Very good," he commented. "Though I should hope you're not done, yet. There needs to be a cliff-hanger, a plot-twist, something at the end to bring the readers back for the next issue."

"Yes," I nodded. "I'm still working on that."

"Good." He laid the papers back down, hitched up the belt of his pants. "And remember, this isn't an erotic publishing company. Teenagers and children read your work."

"I know, sir," I said evenly.

"Carry on, then. You still have to create the cover." With that, my boss walked away.

I sighed, leaning forward until my chin rested on the edge of the desk. I picked up my pencil and made random sketches of flowers and hairstyles, but inspiration struck me. I sat up sharply and began to draw.

The couple went into the kitchen and began making pancakes together. They threw flour in each others hair. The woman turned around and the man tied an apron around her waist. They made silly pancakes; hearts, clovers, smiley faces. It was all very sweet. At the end of the manga, I had them sit down with their mostly-burnt food. They were left hanging with indecisiveness about what to put on top of their pancakes. Syrup? Soy sauce? Tune in next week to find out.

I smiled.

...

On my lunch break I looked at my phone, but no one had called. I was reminded briefly of Sono and his mysterious messages, but I knew there was no bringing them back. I checked the time. It was almost five o-clock. As I pushed some coins into a snack vending machine, I wondered what Aki was doing at my house, and I realized then he didn't have a cell phone. Not that I knew of, anyway. _Will he answer if I call the house phone?_ There was only one way to find out.

I sat down at on a bench against the wall, near a water fountain, and dialed my house number. My knee tapped with sudden nervousness, rattling the potato chip bag in my lap. What if he doesn't answer? I thought. Don't be silly, of course he'll answer. _But what if he left? _What if he tried to find his old master again? What if Sono came back and chased him out of the apartment? I chewed my lip anxiously. _What if-_

"Hello, Yamada residence?"

My worries melted away the second I heard his voice. He sounded so confident and professional. My shoulders slumped with relief, but my stomach prickled with shyness. Why am I even calling?

"Yes, Aki," I said at last. "It's me, Seiji."

"Seiji," he said, his tone lifting. "Hi. How is work?"

"Good, I, uh..." I picked at the bag of chips and it crinkled at my touch. "I just wanted to see how you were doing, by yourself."

"I'm not by myself, Seiji," he told me seriously.

"What?" I blurted, wanting to jump to my feet but knowing that wouldn't change anything. "Who's with you?"

"You are," he answered.

I blushed, glancing around the room to see if anyone else could see. But I was alone. Despite Aki being on the other line with me, I was still by myself.

"Oh," I said shortly. "Uh, well, I should be headed home soon. Do you want anything?"

"That's sweet, but no thank you," Aki said politely.

"Okay." I stood up and the chips fell to the floor. I bent down to pick grab them, nearly dropping the phone. "I should go, then. Back to work," I said as I straightened up.

"Right," Aki said. "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah. Good bye," I said, but I wasn't sure if he heard me or not, for the call had already ended.

...

I came home later than expected. It was almost nine. I smelled rice as I walked into the door. Pineapple fried rice, I thought, my mouth watering as I walked down the hall. My belly groaned with a sudden, fierce appetite.

I walked into the kitchen. There was a big pot steaming on the stove alongside a steaming wok. The table was set for two people, a bottle of sake as the center-piece. But something was missing.

"Aki?" I called, confused to see he wasn't there.

I walked through the den towards the bedroom, but saw Aki was lying on the couch. I froze in mid-step, peering over the back of the couch at him. He was fast asleep, his lips parted slightly, a small dark spot on the cushion from his drool. He was on his side, knees curled near his chest, one hand hanging off the couch, fingers brushing the carpet. His soft purple hair covered most of his face. I leaned over and brushed it back gently, then kissed his forehead.

He stirred at my touch and I recoiled, ashamed to have woken him.

"Seiji?" He muttered, lifting his head and opening his eyes.

"Yes, I'm home," I said weakly.

He got to his feet rather groggily. "Are you hungry?" He asked.

"Yes, but I can fix it myse-"

"I made dinner for us," he interupted, possibly without realizing it. "Come on." He strolled passed me, eyes still squinty from sleep. I followed him quickly.

I sat down at his insistance and he took my plate to the stove, serving me. He sat down across from me, stifling a yawn. I looked down at my food. I was right. Pineapple fried rice, along with beef and brocolli. It was still wafting with sweet-smelling steam. Aki poured me a glass of sake as I snatched up a chunk of beef with my chopsticks. I tossed the beef into my mouth and chewed it. It was incredible.

"Thank you, Aki, it's delicious," I told him enthusiastically.

He smiled humbly. "I'm glad you like it," he said. He ate slowly, using his chopsticks more like a spoon. Even from across the table, I could tell he was breathing deeply, each breath longer than the last. His eyelids began to droop lower and lower.

A secret smile crept over my face as I knew he was falling alseep, but that fleeting amusement was scattered away in the next instant, for he was only this tired because of me. If I had left work when I said I would, then we could have had a proper meal together. No doubt he worked very hard on this one, plus he had already cleaned up the dishes. I regretted waking him up from the couch. I should have just let him sleep, I thought angrily, watching his head jerk up as he dozed.

I stared at him for a minute or two. He stabbed a piece of pineapple with a chopstick and pushed it into his waiting mouth with his eyes completely closed.

This is ridiculous, I thought, suddenly mad. I stood up and walked over to Aki, carefully taking the chopsticks out of his hand. He opened his eyes and looked up, gazing into my eyes. It was as if we had been staring at each other all evening, trapped in the breathless moment before a kiss. I couldn't look away.

"Seiji," Aki said, his voice shaking me back into my head. "I'm glad you like it." His smile was uneven and drunkish, but since I'd been home he hadn't even poured the sake into his own glass. He was simply exhausted.

"It was very good," I said, nodding at each word so he'd understand. "Now it's time for bed. Let's go." I took his hand and helped him up. We went down the hall to the bedroom, him leaning warmly against me for support.

Soon we reached the bed, and, by the light of the streetlamps outside the window, I tucked him in under the covers. He curled up onto his side like he had been on the couch, sighing softly through his nostrils.

"Thank you, Seiji," he murmered, closing his eyes.

I patted him on the shoulder once or twice. "Good night, Aki," I whispered.

Then, not letting myself think about it, I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled, but didn't move. He had already drifted out and away from me.

I padded into the kitchen and washed our plates and put the rest of the food in the fridge. Then I sat down at the table and threw back my cup of sake, then poured myself another one.


	14. Chapter 14

I awoke with a jerk, my heart thumping loudly. I sat up on the couch and looked around, the room dark and quiet. Sitting up made me feel exposed, so I pulled the blanket to my chin. I held still, waiting for my heart to steady.

Gradually it did, and another sound made itself known to me. A low snorning. I was confused. It seemed way too close to be Aki, who I myself had desposited into the bedroom. Suddenly I heard a rustle, and quickly leaned over to look in the floor. Curled right beside the couch, his head resting on a fallen pillow, was Aki.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness and with a odd feeling of sadness, I smiled. With desperate caution, I reached down to stroke his hair, but paused before I could touch him. _What if this wakes him? _I wondered. _Would that not be rude? _I hesitated. _But wouldn't it be worse if he slept in the floor and woke up stiff and sore in the morning?_

I withdrew my hand and tucked it under my cheek, laying on my side to gaze down at Aki. My eyelids grew heavy once more_. I probably should wake him,_ I thought, picturing the two of us snuggling together in my bed. But a sluggishness had come over my body, and I fell asleep without much of a fight.

...

"Seiji."

I opened my eyes upon hearing my name. It was morning now. The lighting was soft, yet still bright. I blinked once, tensing up when I saw Aki kneeling beside the couch, staring into my eyes.

"Oh, Aki," I said, feeling awkward for some reason. "Good morning, I-"

"What were you dreaming about?" His tone was suggesting something...

My eyes widened with horror. Between my legs, a fully-erect penis thrummed with my heart-beat. _Oh no, _I thought. Embarrassment flushed my cheeks with red.

Aki reached down and cupped his hand around the bulge in my pants.

I jerked upright and waved him away. "No, Aki, stop," I rushed out, itching with fresh sweat.

His eyes flicked up to mine. I couldn't read his expression.

"Seiji, I'm not going to let you suffer like this," he said smoothly.

"What? No, I'm not suffering. I'm fine. I just need a shower, and-"

Then his hand was between my thighs, his thin, gentle fingers wrapping around the outline of my swollen dick. When his fingers tightened, the ecstacy of his hold almost made me climax right then. I moaned and twisted uncomfortably, willing myself to hold it back.

"Be still," he said quietly, sliding forward until his chest was up against the couch, between my knees. He unzipped my pants and guided my penis out into the open. A pink tongue slipped out to moisten his lips, then Aki tilted his head towards me.

"Aki," I whimpered. But he ignored me, and I'll admit that I was glad.

His mouth opened and he sucked my penis inside of it. His mouth was hot from sleep, and extremely wet. Aki's tongue suctioned to the underside of my manhood, his lips tightening around its base, and he began moving his head back and forth, dragging my penis in and out inside of his mouth.

My eyes lolled, my mouth falling open as I groaned. My fingers clawed into the couch cushions and my toes twitched on the floor. The blood rushed through my veins. Sweat beaded along my back beneath my shirt. I longed to rip off everything and throw myself on top of Aki, but he was intent on doing me this pleasure. I did not want to deter him.

_"Oh Aki." _

His head moved in and out between my thighs, his lips remaining tight around my penis. My errection was near its end: No doubt he could taste it.

"Aki," I said warningly. I did not want to come inside of his mouth. The idea made me blush. I put my hand on his shoulder. "Aki," I said again, for he did not let up. "Stop, before I-"

But my words strangled themselves, for my climax had been reached. I thrust my hips forward involuntarily, most likely gagging him, though he didn't protest, spasming my body as my penis squirted out its seed.

And instead of jerking back and spitting it out, he continued to suck on my penis until it had ceased its release, swallowing each and every drop of me.

...

I stared at the paperwork in front of me. Blank pieces of paper. I couldn't read the words, because my eyes would not focus on them. All I could see was Aki, his head between my legs, blessing me with the gift of his praticed tongue.

My hands trembled as I recalled the event. I couldn't even work up the nerve to _speak_ after what he had done. We both just sat there panting at each other, sweat rolling down my cheeks as saliva rolled down his chin. I couldn't even make myself say thank you. Though, to be honest, I didn't know if that was appropriate or not, seeing how, by law, he was still considered a child.

But a minute or two later, my phone alarm chimed to remind me I had to go to work, so I scrambled to my feet and dashed into the bathroom, locking the door so I could take a shower. I pretended to be running late, but really I just didn't want to be trapped with him and say something stupid.

_He was just being nice, _I scolded myself. _And I was being a selfish jerk. _I let my head fall forward and thump into the desk. _I'm such an idiot,_ I thought.

...

I walked in the front door, slipping out of my shoes and dropping my workbag to the floor. I sighed out a deep breath to calm myself. Faintly, I smelled the sweet scent of candle smoke.

"Aki?" I called.

It had just grown dark outside, so inside the apartment was dim and still. It was still relatively early, but I didn't smell any indication that Aki had been cooking. Just the subtle smokiness of candles.

My bare feet padded lightly across the floor.

"Ak-"

"In here, Seiji."

I frowned, pausing in my walk to the kitchen to turn towards the bedroom_. What are you doing back there? _I wondered.

I could now see the orange warbling light of miniature flames dancing on the walls of the hallway. I walked down it and stopped in the doorway.

Aki had the curtains drawn shut so the harsh streetlights outside could not show us their light. White candles of various sizes were perched on almost every available spot, crowding the nightstand and the dresser. Their tiny flames waved at me as I stood there, staring. Aki was laying on his back on the bed, wearing only his underwear, his left arm stretched behind his head on the pillow, his wrist cuffed to the bedpost.

"Aki," I said, my voice high with surprise. "What are you doing? Where did you-"

"I was bad this morning, Seiji," he said softly, his voice tantalizingly brooding. He made a small pout with his lips, brushing the strands of purple hair from his eyes with his right hand.

"What?" I shifted my weight nervously. I felt intrusive, like I had barged in on something private.

"Bad pets need to be punished," he told me. Aki arched his back and moaned slightly, letting his eyes close as if he were experiencing a great pleasure. He pulled his knee up, then let it fall over to the side, exposing his crotch to me.

Even in the candle-light, I could see through his underwear that Aki was hard. He gave a light tug on his cuffed wrist, rattling the chain as if to prove to me he was incapacitated and at my mercy. I swallowed a mouthful of hot spit.

Suddenly I understood. As Aki pushed the back of his head into the pillow, his eyes still closed, I was struck with a sense of awe. He was giving his whole self to me, exposing every inch of himself. The amount of trust he must have had for me was unfathomable. I grew close to tears.

"Won't you punish your rabbit?" His voice floated to me, a pleading, helpless tone.

_He's risking so much_, I thought. _Asking for me in this manner._ I gazed at him for a moment longer, my heart stumbling as I beheld his trembling knees. _But I won't let you down. _With a fierce determination, I blinked back my emotions threw off my shirt.


	15. Chapter 15

My lips fell down and parted, allowing my tongue just enough room to pass through. With it, I caressed the warm, pale skin around his navel. His stomach tightened, his legs trembling beneath my chest as I hovered above them. I heard the unsteady jingle of chains as Aki strained against his pleasure. I placed my hands on either side of his waist, lightly grasping just above his hip bones, and leaned in closer.

My bare chest pressed into his privates as I slid my hands up his sides, my mouth licking and sucking at his milky-soft body. I paused at his left nipple, swallowing his sweat and my spittle, and taking a breath.

I stood up a bit straighter, pushing myself forward into him. My penis connected with Aki's, and out of an instinct for intensity, I abruptly thrust my hips into his. He let out a gentle moan, curling his knees inward and wrapping his legs around my lower back.

I shuddered, a tingling wash of heat rushing over me. My heart was racing. I looked into Aki's face but his eyes remained closed, his expression bearing that of a man in torment. His hair was sticking to his forehead, so I carefully flicked it back.

It was then that his eyes opened, and my breath caught at the sight of them. Dancing shadows fluttered across his face, but the candle-light sparkled in his eyes like a thousand stars. There was a shocking amount of boldness deep within them. I had expected to see a kind of girlish romance, not this odd type of defiance.

I felt a blush rise into my cheeks, but I didn't let myself look away.

"Don't stop."

He broke the silence with an uncanny calmness, yet it still made me flinch.

My blush reddened and I lowered my head so as not to look at him. I exhaled onto his throat, then sucked gently at his skin. My kisses were slow and accurate, determinedly unshaken. I nosed my way to his left armpit, and his shoulder grew stiff, his fingers lacing around the chain that kept his wrist bound to the bedpost. I licked at his bicep, simultaneously rocking my hips back, then forth into him.

His right hand found my back and rubbed up and down my spine. I nibbled with my lips, going up his arm and across his shoulder, licking at his collarbone. Out of the top of my eyes, I saw his left ear peeking out from his hair. I flew towards it and bit onto it, pushing my tongue around my teeth to tease at the squishy flesh. He kept his head still, though his left hand twisted in the handcuff, and his right hand grabbed onto my shoulder. Without even thinking, I snaked my tongue out and down his ear, wiggling it as deep as I could.

Aki loosed a sound so adorable and unexpected, that I almost laughed. I withdrew from his ear and swallowed, doing my best not to wince at the waxiness. Flashing my teeth, I grinned at him. He met my eyes and smiled only slightly, and I grinned even bigger as I realized he was embarrassed. _But in a good way_, I thought hopefully.

His hand slipped down from my shoulder and touched my cheek. My thoughts melted from my brain and a blankness replaced them. I gazed into his eyes and he gazed back into mine. His chest was rising and falling quickly to keep up with his thrumming heart. I could feel its beating beneath my stomach. Faintly, I felt the pressure of his penis hardening against mine.

He tucked a wayward strand of hair behind my ear, but before he could touch me any more, I snatched his wrist into my left hand, holding it out of the way. A look of surprise flicked onto his face, but before he could react properly, my mouth was pressing down onto his. I raised his right hand above his head, guiding it to his left. Obediently, he took hold of the chain's slack and didn't let go.

I ground my hips hard into his, rubbing our members together. We groaned in each other's mouths. I forced my tongue into his mouth and he tasted like the sweetest sake. I rolled my hips, heightening both our pleasures, my breathing becoming more ragged and unsteady. I relinquished my kissing and bit onto his bottom lip, and he gasped.

"Seiji," he whimpered, his eyes squinting shut.

I leaned back, placing my hands on his hips. I tilted him to the side, and he understood, dropping his legs from my back and rolling over easily. He lifted his bottom up towards me, his knees shaking. His hands remained above his head, clasping onto his cuffs.

He didn't try to look at me. He kept his face turned down towards the pillow. I envisioned his eyes being closed, his sweat-darkned purple hair hanging like shag over his features, his pale, pale lips parted as he breathed, slowly, in and out.

My hands smoothed over his warm bottom. Not a blemish to be found. Carefully I parted his cheeks, exposing his hole. It was tightly closed. I pushed my face between his cheek and immediately began licking. My right hand was suddenly free, so I let it fall down to between Aki's legs, taking hold of his penis.

Out of some sort of automatic reflex, he lowered his right hand from the chain once more and slid it down across the bed sheets in a weak attempt to stop me, but I pushed him away.

_This is all about you, _I thought as I began to rub him. His hand trembled, fingers still slightly extended towards me. But I had told him _no_ with my actions. He didn't want to disobey. The palm of his hand clenched into a wad of sheets, just beneath his chest.

I teased open his hole with my tongue and snaked it in and out in time with my rubbing. Tiny moans escaped him without his consent. A bead of sweat ran down his back and found my tongue, and I swallowed it greedily. I tightened my hold on his penis and moved a bit faster. Moving my face from side to side, I nosed in deeper, and my lips parted and surrounded his hole.

With my eyes closed, I sucked the soft skin of his hole, feeling it pull warmly against my lips and tongue. Pressing my tongue forward, I entered him. His body was tense; it would not let me go in very deep. I withdrew my tongue and suckled at the rim, slobbering like a hungry dog. Aki moaned with pitiful delight. Then I stuck my thumb in my mouth, and just as quickly I pushed it up into Aki. His back arched as he groaned, and I felt as well as saw the muscles of his legs constrict.

Between those pale legs of his, my other hand was still at work. I was beating him off faster and faster, feeling him swell between my fingers. Slowly, measuredly, I twisted my thumb inside his anus.

Suddenly he could no longer hold himself up. His torso fell forward and his handcuff rattled angrily as the slack was forced out. He laid his face down on his right cheek, panting softly, his eyes trembling behind closed lids. His hair was soaked and dark and glistening with sweat.

When he fell forward, so did I.

His movement was unexpected and it threw me off balance, especially since I was holding onto him in more ways than one. I pitched over on top of him, my thumb ramming all the way inside, but I caught myself by turning my face to the side and smacking against his buttocks. My right hand had released his penis in all the commotion, but I raised it again and began rubbing him some more.

I kept my thumb up inside of him, wiggling it every now and then, while my other hand methodically stroked his member. I closed my eyes with my face against his bottom. His skin was soft and warm and it felt like a pillow. My breathing was ragged and sweat puddled along my hairline, and I realized I myself was having an extreme hard-on just from pleasuring Aki.

_"Seiji." _

My eyes snapped open. I knew instantly by his voice that he was about to climax.

I lifted my head and stared at his back as if I could see through it and see his face. He whimpered, his body straining to hold it in. I could tell he didn't want me to keep rubbing him, I could tell by the way his fist clenched and unclenched that he wanted to finish himself. But he didn't ask me to stop. So I didn't.

Perspiration ran down my face and I jerked him faster and faster, until, at last, he came. His seed sprayed out between his legs and with all my furious rubbing some of it got on my hand. I worked him out a bit longer until I was sure he was complete, then I let him go and slid my thumb out of his hole. I allowed myself to keep sliding backwards until I fell off the end of the bed, thudding onto the carpet.

I laid on my back, breathing heavily, my arms spread out over my head to cool myself. My right hand was sticky from his release. Suddenly I could smell candle smoke. I gazed up at the ceiling, which was orange and alive with dancing shadows. As my body cooled, my erection faded away, but I didn't mind. This had all been for Aki.

"Seiji," Aki whispered my name as though from on a death bed.

I didn't bother to get up.

"Yeah?" I asked from the floor.

"Thank you."


	16. Chapter 16

Since that night, things began to change.

I would get up, eat breakfast with Aki, and go to work. When I came home, I would find Aki in a helplessly condemned postion, seeking my harshest judgement. And I, with a rush of doing something naughty, would ablige him.

...

One day I came home and he was dressed as a female, wearing an extremely short blue dress and black heels, but no underwear. He had his back to me, leaning over the kitchen sink with his arms covered in suds from washing dishes, the fabric of the dress riding up and exposing his bottom. I walked into the kitchen and my mouth dropped open with shock and I stood frozen on the spot. As if he heard my surprise, Aki tossed his hair from his eyes and turned only his head to gaze at me, biting his soapy thumb with a devilish sexiness. For a moment I wondered where he had aquired such clothing, but I didn't really care after all.

My heart racing, I tore off my shirt and went to him, but before I reached his sweet ass, he pulled a wet wooden spoon from the sink and struck my cheek. Spurred into anger, I tore the spoon from his relenting hand and smacked him on the butt. Almost instantly a red mark formed on his tender white flesh, sticky with soap bubbles. He didn't protest. Instead, he leaned further over the sink, the dress riding up even further.

"Hit me again," he begged.

...

Another day I came home and went into the kitchen, cautiously, not knowing if what I smelled was dinner, or a trap. I beheld Aki covered in rice, stuck to him with sweet and sour sauce, naked, completely naked, laying on his side on the tile floor.

"I mopped the floor today, Seiji," he purred to me.

...

It was my day off one day, and, thinking he needed to get out of the house, I took Aki to the local park. It was a school day, so the park was abandoned. We swung on the swing-set for a little while, then went to the slides. I went down first, but then Aki dove in after me and trapped me in the tunnel. He wouldn't let me go up or down. He pinned me in the stuffy plastic slide and jerked my pants down to my thighs, and we had sex.

...

These random ambushes for sex were hot, and I loved every minute of them. At first. But something was changing inside of Aki. As weeks went by, the episodes became more and more inclined to provoke violence.

...

I was taking a shower. I had just lathered up the sponge to wash my body. I didn't hear him coming. Aki had filled a soup pot with icy water, and he stood up on the toilet and dumped it over the curtain all over me. I screamed and shied away, tip-toeing in the tub's cold basin. Dropping the pot noisily to the floor, Aki, naked, hopped in the shower and held me against the cold tile wall. While the steaming water ran over his sleek body, I shivered in the cold, and Aki pressed his mouth into my stomach and licked up and down my body with a hot tongue.

...

Aki threw me from the bed while I slept one morning, and I hit the carpet hard on my right shoulder. As I tried to get up, Aki hauled me to my feet and backed me into the wall. He began choking me, bringing up his knee and mashing it into my privates. Gasping, I tried to push him away from me but he wouldn't let go. I was forced to punch him in the stomach. He instantly released me, falling to his knees. Then, with fumbling hands and while he still struggled for breath, he pulled down my underwear and began sucking my aching penis.

...

I came home completely drained one evening. My boss had demanded more than I had to give, and his lectures of being efficient and productive had worn me out. It was close to ten o'clock by the time I got home, and I had a hopeful feeling in the back of my mind that Aki would be asleep and I would get to go to sleep as well. but I was wrong.

The apartment was silent and still, so I was silent as well. There was no sign of Aki as I crept through the house, so I assumed he was asleep. I went into the bedroom and pulled out the drawer that held my pajamas, but it was empty apart from a black leather belt.

_"Aki,"_ I sighed wearily, grabbing the belt.

"Was I _bad_, Seiji?" Aki hissed from behind.

I turned and Aki was wearing my favorite pajamas. He stood in a half-slouch, twirling a finger through his hair with a calm smile. His expression angered me, but I knew that that was what he wanted, and it made me even angrier.

"I'm tired, Aki," I told him. "Where are my clothes? I want to go to bed."

His eyes flicked greedily to the belt in my hand.

"You'll have to _make _me talk."

"Aki." I shook my head. "Enough of this." I took off my clothes and dropped them to the floor, kicking them in a rough pile. In my underwear, I strode passed Aki and climbed into bed.

He picked up the belt and hovered over me, playing with the metal buckle.

"Seiji," he began, his voice threatening, but I interupted him.

"Just stop it, Aki!" I rolled over to glare at him. "Leave me alone!"

His eyes widened, then went back to normal. His expression hardened. But he didn't speak, so I rolled curtly over and pulled the covers tightly over my body, ignoring his no-doubt sullen attitude.

I must've fallen alseep without relaxing, because I woke up that morning tense and stiff as if I had slept on a hard-wood floor. I got out of bed and saw my clothes were no longer in the floor. I checked my pajama drawer and they were all there. The bedroom door was open just a crack, and I could faintly hear the washing machine running. Satisfied that things were returning to normal, I dressed for work and headed to the kitchen.

Aki was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cold cereal. He was wearing a bath robe, his hair still wet from taking a shower. He didn't look up as I walked into the room. Didn't acknowledge me when I told him goodmorning.

I recalled what I had said the night before, and regretted it.

"Aki," I began hesitantly. "I..." But it was his fault I had gotten angry. Sure, I was tired and grumpy, but he should have stopped when I first told him to. I paced over to the counter, my back to Aki. He's been acting crazy lately, pushing me to the limit. _He should've know better than to test me._

I felt his eyes on me and glanced over my shoulder. He looked expectant, as if he knew it was right of me to try and apologize. But _he's_ the one that should be sorry! Straightening my back and setting my jaw stubbornly, I said nothing else and walked out of the kitchen. I gathered my things and left for work without another word, and without one spoken to me.

...

During my drive, an ancient longing rose up in my chest. A longer for simpler times, for a love more tender and real.

A foreign name whispered to my heart from the back of my mind, and tears ran freely down my cheeks as recognition dawned on me.

_Sono._


End file.
